Feasibility of Screen‐Printed PZT Microceramics for Structural Health Monitoring Applications

Using the association of low‐cost screen‐printing technology with the sacrificial layer method, the feasibility of totally released piezoelectric thick‐film microceramics of gold‐electroded PZT type is studied. After the deposition of the sacrificial layer on an alumina substrate and subsequent printing and drying of gold/ PZT /gold layers, the final firing is performed at low temperature. This is followed by the releasing step of the Au/ PZT /Au in a diluted acidic solution. Impedance analysis shows that the electrical properties and electromechanical coefficients of poled PZT thick films are still lower than those of PZT ceramics. This result is correlated with the high porosity rate of the PZT layer. However, these piezoelectric microceramics present desirable electromechanical behavior and can therefore be used as dynamic‐mode sensors or as actuators to generate vibrations in a structure on which they are bonded. Moreover, the successful fabrication and the electromechanical impedance ( EMI ) levels obtained on a metallic structure suggest possible structural health monitoring applications of these screen‐printed PZT microceramics.