Thick film polymer-ceramic composites for pyroelectric applications

Abstract

Thick films of 0-3 composites of lead-zirconate-titanate ceramic and polyvinylidene-trifluorethylene copolymer have been produced by spin coating on gold-coated silicon wafers. The dielectric properties were investigated as a function of ceramic volume fraction and temperature. Pyroelectric measurements were undertaken by temperature modulation with a Peltier element. Additionally, the pyroelectric response has been investigated up to 3000Hz using a modulated laser. The piezoelectric response of the composites obtained by using a laser vibrometer are also reported. It is shown that the dielectric constant increases with increasing volume fraction of ceramic and that it reaches a maximum at a temperature in the range of 65–70°C due to the ferroelectric-paraelectric phase transition of the polymer matrix. The pyroelectric coefficient increases to 92μCm−2K−1 at a ceramic volume fraction of 20%. Furthermore the effective piezoelectric charge coefficient d33 of the composite almost vanishes at this composition. This composites show relatively high pyroelectric figures of merit and may be a potential candidate for pyroelectric sensor applications.