Introduction to Piezoelectric Actuators and Transducers

Abstract

Certain materials produce electric charges on their surfaces as a consequence of applying mechanical stress. The induced charges are proportional to the mechanical stress. This is called the direct piezoelectric effect and was discovered in quartz by Piere and Jacques Curie in 1880. Materials showing this phenomenon also conversely have a geometric strain proportional to an applied electric field. This is the converse piezoelectric effect. The root of the word "piezo" means "pressure"; hence the original meaning of the word piezoelectricity implied "pressure electricity." Piezoelectricity is extensively utilized in the fabrication of various devices such as transducers, actuators, surface acoustic wave devices, frequency control and so on. In this chapter we describe the piezoelectric materials that are used, and various potential applications of piezoelectric materials.