Piezo Film Sensors

Technical Manual

Measurement Specialties, Inc.

Sensor Products Division
950 Forge Avenue
Norristown, PA 19403
Tel: 610.650.1500
FAX: 610.650.1509
Internet: www.msiusa.com
e-mail: [email protected]

P/N 1005663-1 REV B 02 APR 99

 -- TABLE OF CONTENTS –

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Background . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Piezoelectric Film Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Table 1. Typical properties of piezo film . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Table 2. Comparison of piezoelectric materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Operating Properties for a Typical Piezo Film Element . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Lead Attachment Techniques for Piezo Film Sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8
Frequency Response . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13
Piezo Film at Low Frequencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14
Table 3. Capacitance values of common piezo film components . . . 15
Temperature Effects . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25
Piezoelectric Cable and Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Table 4. Piezo Cable Typical Properties . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26
Piezoelectric Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27
Pyroelectric Basics . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34
Table 5. Comparison of pyroelectric materials . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35
Basic Circuit Concepts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36
Manufacturing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43
Beam Switch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Snap-Action Switches . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44
Impact Sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Impact Printers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Sports Scoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Musical Instruments . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45
Traffic Sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46
Vibration Sensing . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Music Pickups . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47
Machine Monitoring . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Bearing Wear Sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Fan Flow Sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Thread Break Sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48
Vending Sensors . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Accelerometers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Table 6. Accelerometer Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50
Table 7. Accelerometer Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51

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 Ultrasound Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
Medical Imaging Ultrasound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52
NonDestructive Testing (NDT) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Acoustic Emission . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Fluid Level Sensor . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53
Air Ranging Ultrasound . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54
Audio . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Speakers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
Microphones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55
SONAR . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Future Applications . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Active Vibration Damping . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56
Sensors on Silicon . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Smart Skin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57
Appendix A – Applications of Piezo Film . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58
Appendix B – Index of Piezo Film Articles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61
Appendix C – Application Notes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79

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INTRODUCTION
Transducer materials convert one form of energy into another, and are widely used in sensing
applications. The tremendous growth in the use of microprocessors has propelled the demand for
sensors in diverse applications. Today, PIEZOELECTRIC POLYMER SENSORS are among
the fastest growing of the technologies within the $18 billion worldwide sensor market. Like any
new technology, there have been an extraordinary number of applications where "PIEZO FILM"
has been considered for the sensor solution. In the 20 years since the discovery of piezoelectric
polymer, the technology has matured, practical applications have emerged from a long list of
possibilities, and the rate of commercialization of the technology is accelerating.
These documents provide an overview of piezoelectric polymer technology and nomenclature, its
properties, and sensor design considerations. It also explores a range of sensor applications that have
been successfully developed in recent years.
Solving unique sensor problems is a particular strength of our group of applications engineers. We
welcome the opportunity to provide assistance to you during your evaluation of piezo film sensors
for your design.

BACKGROUND
Piezoelectricity, Greek for "pressure" electricity, was discovered by the Curie brothers more than
100 years ago. They found that quartz changed its dimensions when subjected to an electrical field,
and conversely, generated electrical charge when mechanically deformed. One of the first practical
applications of the technology was made in the 1920's by another Frenchman, Langevin, who
developed a quartz transmitter and receiver for underwater sound - the first SONAR. Before World
War II, researchers discovered that certain ceramic materials could be made piezoelectric when
subjected to a high polarizing voltage, a process analogous to magnetizing a ferrous material.
By the 1960's, researchers had discovered a weak piezoelectric effect in whale bone and tendon. This
began an intense search for other organic materials that might exhibit piezoelectricity. In 1969,
Kawai found very high piezo-activity in the polarized fluoropolymer, polyvinylidene fluoride
(PVDF). While other materials, like nylon and PVC exhibit the effect, none are as highly
piezoelectric as PVDF and its copolymers.
Like some other ferroelectric Figure 1. Typical infrared absorption spectrum of PVDF film.
materials, PVDF is also
pyroelectric, producing
electrical charge in response to
a change in temperature.
PVDF strongly absorbs
infrared energy in the 7-20µm
wavelengths (see Figure 1),
covering the same wavelength
spectrum as heat from the
human body. Accordingly,
PVDF makes a useful human
motion sensor as well as
pyroelectric sensor for more
sophisticated applications like
vidicon cameras for night
vision and laser beam profiling sensors. A dense infrared array has been recently introduced that
identifies one’s fingerprint pattern using the pyro effect of piezo polymer.

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New copolymers of PVDF, developed over the last few years, have expanded the applications of
piezoelectric polymer sensors. These copolymers permit use at higher temperatures (135bC) and
offer desirable new sensor shapes, like cylinders and hemispheres. Thickness extremes are possible
with copolymer that cannot be readily attained with PVDF. These include ultrathin (200 Å) spin-cast
coatings that enable new sensor-on-silicon applications, and cylinders with wall thicknesses in excess
of 1200µm for sonar. Piezo cable is also produced using copolymer.

PIEZOELECTRIC FILM PROPERTIES

Piezo film is a flexible, lightweight, tough engineering plastic available in a wide variety of
thicknesses and large areas. Its properties as a transducer include:
• Wide frequency range—0.001 Hz to 109 Hz.
• Vast dynamic range (10-8 to 106 psi or µ torr to Mbar).
• Low acoustic impedance—close match to water, human tissue and adhesive systems.
• High elastic compliance
• High voltage output—10 times higher than piezo ceramics for the same force input.
• High dielectric strength—withstanding strong fields (75V/µm) where most piezo ceramics
depolarize.
• High mechanical strength and impact resistance (109—1010 Pascal modulus).
• High stability—resisting moisture (<0.02% moisture absorption), most chemicals, oxidants, and
intense ultraviolet and nuclear radiation.
• Can be fabricated into unusual designs.
• Can be glued with commercial adhesives.
One major advantage of piezo film over piezo ceramic is its low acoustic impedance which is closer
to that of water, human tissue and other organic materials. For example, the acoustic impedance
(ZO = ρ υ) of piezo film is only 2.6 times that of water, whereas piezo ceramics are typically 11 times
greater. A close impedance match permits more efficient transduction of acoustic signals in water
and tissue.
Piezo film does have some limitations for certain applications. It makes a relatively weak
electromechanical transmitter when compared to ceramics, particularly at resonance and in low
frequency applications. The copolymer film has maximum operating/storage temperatures as high
as 135oC, while PVDF is not recommended for use or storage above 100 bC. Also, if the electrodes
on the film are exposed, the sensor can be sensitive to electromagnetic radiation. Good shielding
techniques are available for high EMI/RFI environments.
Table 1 lists typical properties of piezo film. Table 2 provides a comparison of the piezoelectric
properties of PVDF polymer and two popular piezoelectric ceramic materials.
Piezo film has low density and excellent sensitivity, and is mechanically tough. The compliance of
piezo film is 10 times greater than the compliance of ceramics. When extruded into thin film,
piezoelectric polymers can be directly attached to a structure without disturbing its mechanical
motion. Piezo film is well suited to strain sensing applications requiring very wide bandwidth and
high sensitivity. As an actuator, the polymer's low acoustic impedance permits the efficient transfer
of a broadband of energy into air and other gases.

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Table 1. Typical properties of piezo film

Symbol Parameter PVDF Copolymer Units

t Thickness 9, 28, 52, 110 <1 to 1200 µm (micron, 10-6 )
d31 23 11 10-12 m/m C/m 2
Piezo Strain Constant or
d33 -33 -38 V/m N/m 2
g31 216 162 10-3 V/m m/m
Piezo Stress constant or
2
g33 -330 -542 N/m C/m 2
k31 Electromechanical 12% 20%
kt Coupling Factor 14% 25-29%
C Capacitance 380 for 28µm 68 for 100µm pF/cm2, @ 1KHz
Y Young’s Modulus 2-4 3-5 109 N/m2
Speed of stretch: 1.5 2.3
V0 Sound thickness: 103 m/s
2.2 2.4
p Pyroelectric Coefficient 30 40 10-6 C/m2 bK
ε Permittivity 106-113 65-75 10-12 F/m
ε/ε 0 Relative Permittivity 12-13 7-8
ρm Mass Density 1.78 1.82 103kg/m

ρe Volume Resistivity >1013 >1014 Ohm meters

Rœ <3.0 <3.0 Ohms/square for NiAl

Surface Metallization
Rœ Resistivity
0.1 0.1 Ohms/square for Ag Ink
tan δe Loss Tangent 0.02 0.015 @ 1KHz
Yield Strength 45-55 20-30 106 N/m2 (stretch axis)
Temperature Range -40 to 80...100 -40 to 115...145 bC
Water Absorption <0.02 <0.02 % H2O
Maximum Operating 750 (30) 750 (30) V/mil(V/µm), DC, @ 25bC
Voltage
Breakdown Voltage 2000 (80) 2000 (80) V/mil(V/µm), DC, @ 25bC

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Table 2. Comparison of piezoelectric materials

Property Units PVDF Film PZT BaTi03

3
Density 10 kg/m3 1.78 7.5 5.7
Relative Permittivity ε/ε 0 12 1,200 1,700
-12
d31 Constant (10 )C/N 23 110 78
-3
g31 Constant (10 )Vm/N 216 10 5
k31 Constant % at 1 KHz 12 30 21
6 2
Acoustic Impedance (10 )kg/m -sec. 2.7 30 30

OPERATING PROPERTIES FOR A TYPICAL PIEZO FILM ELEMENT

The DT1 element is a standard piezo film configuration consisting of a 12x30 mm active area
printed with silver ink electrodes on both surfaces of a 15x40 mm die-cut piezo polymer substrate.
1. Electro-Mechanical Conversion
(1 direction) 23 x 10-12m/V, 700 x 10-6N/V
(3 direction) -33 x 10-12m/V
2. Mechano-Electrical Conversion
(1 direction) 12 x 10-3V per microstrain, 400 x 10-3V/µm, 14.4V/N
(3 direction) 13 x 10-3V/N
3. Pyro-Electrical Conversion
8V/ o K (@ 25 o C)
4. Capacitance
1.36 x 10-9F; Dissipation Factor of 0.018 @ 10 KHz; Impedance of 12 KΩ @ 10 KHz
5. Maximum Operating Voltage
DC: 280 V (yields 7 µm displacement in 1 direction)
AC: 840 V (yields 21 µm displacement in 1 direction)
6. Maximum Applied Force (at break, 1 direction)
6-9 kgF (yields voltage output of 830 to 1275 V)

Electrical to Mechanical Conversion

Large displacements of forces are not generally available from piezo film. This becomes apparent
when designing loudspeaker elements for instance, as low frequency performance (below 500Hz)
tends to be limited. Even a large sheet of film is unable to create high amplitude pressure pulses as
low audio frequencies. This does not apply, however, to low to high frequency ultrasonic
frequencies, as seen in current designs for ultrasound air ranging transducers (40-50 KHz) and in
medical ultrasonic imaging applications. In enclosed air cavities (headset speakers, hearing aids), the
low frequency response of piezo film is excellent. For air ranging ultrasound, the piezo film element
height controls vertical beam angle and the curvature and width of the transducer controls
horizontal beam pattern. Piezo film air ranging transducers can provide up to 360 o field of view,
ranging object from a few centimeters to several meters with high resolution.

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Bimorph configurations (like a bimetal strip) allow the Figure 3. DT1 Element in [mm]
small differential displacement of two reverse-
connected elements to be translated into substantial
flexural motion. Small fans or optical deflectors can
thus be created. Such devices consume very little real
power (being capacitive in nature). Large devices may
be difficult to drive due to high capacitance, especially
when transformers are used to step up the drive
voltage. Good amplifier design is important.
Nevertheless, conventional fan and blower
technologies generate higher flow rates and back
pressures than piezo bimorphs.
Although the forces involved are small, the film can be
used to excite other mechanical structures over a very
wide frequency range. If a second element of film is used to receive the induced vibration, the
system can possess a very high dynamic range, even though the overall "insertion loss" due to the
film is about -66 dB typically for a structure at resonance. If sufficient gain is applied between these
elements, the structure will self-oscillate at its natural frequency. For these resonant mechanical
systems, high voltage drive is not required. The amplifier circuit may function adequately from a
normal dual rail op-amp supply, or even from a single 9 volt battery. For analysis purposes, even
lower applied voltages, e.g., the noise source of a spectrum analyzer at 70 mVrms, are sufficient to
insert the mechanical energy into a structure when piezo film is also used to monitor the result.

Mechanical to Electrical Conversion

The sensitivity of piezo film as a receiver of mechanical work input is awesome. In its simplest
mode the film behaves like a dynamic strain gage except that it requires no external power source
and generates signals greater than those from conventional foil strain gages after amplification.
Frequency response is thus free from any limitations imposed by the need for high gains and will
extend up to the wavelength limit of the given transducer.
The extreme sensitivity is largely due to the format of the piezo film material. The low thickness of
the film makes, in turn, a very small cross-sectional area and thus relatively small longitudinal forces
create very large stresses within the material. It is easy to exploit this aspect to enhance the
sensitivity parallel to the machine axis. If a laminated element of film (for example an LDT1-028K)
is placed between two layers of compliant material then any compressive forces are converted into
much larger longitudinal extensive forces. In fact, this effect tends to predominate in most
circumstances since most substances are compliant to some extent and the ratio of effective
sensitivity in the 1 (length) vs 3 (thickness) directions is typically 1000:1.
Piezo film transducers may often cover a much larger area than normal strain gages so any direct
comparisons should be performed in a uniform strain field for meaningful results. Obviously
"point"-type transducers could be used where required although the capacitance of a very small area
will require consideration. The low frequency limit of operation will be defined by the greatest
resistive load achievable, or by the largest capacitance load that still allows the signal to be easily
detected. Operation down to fractions of Hz can be achieved using either conventional charge
amplifiers or, since signal levels are relatively high, simple high impedance FET buffer circuits.

Pyro to Electrical Conversion

Piezo film absorbs strongly in the region of 7 to 20 µm which corresponds to well beyond both
operating temperature limits of the film. It thus makes a sensitive pyroelectric detectors for,
say, human body radiation. Since the pyro sensitivity is strong, care must be taken when designing
low (<0.01 to 1Hz) frequency mechanical sensors to avoid ambient temperature changes swamping

Page 5
the output with pyro-generated signal. If a very long time constant is in use, then the film will
generate a voltage corresponding to the change in temperature since switch-on. Since the output
will be several volts per degree C, substantial offsets may be noticed.
In general, however, most piezo applications will have a cut-off frequency of several Hertz or more.
Connecting a device of 1nF capacitance to an oscilloscope input, even at 10 MΩ impedance, will
produce a roll off below 16 Hz. Only a more rapid change in the film temperature will generate a
detectable signal.
Common-mode rejection can be used to isolate either very low frequency mechanical strain from
simultaneous pyro-effects or vice-versa. These straight-forward techniques are quite familiar to MSI
applications engineers who are available for design assistance.

Electrical Design Considerations

A useful model for piezo film which applies for most cases except ultrasonic applications is a strain-
dependent voltage source in series with a capacitance. Thus any resistive load will form a divider
network with a simple RC high-pass filter characteristic. The cut-off frequency is given by
1
fo  and the time constant τ = RC. Operation below the cut-off frequency will give an
2π RC
output signal proportional to the rate of change of the input parameter (differentiator). Application
of a constant stress will generate an initial level followed by an exponential decay of rate exp(RC)-1.
A capacitive load will extend the time constant but reduce the magnitude of the response. Energy is
always lost when transferring charge from one capacitor to another. Large capacitive loads are
useful for attenuating the very large signals arising from powerful impacts—often hundreds of volts.
When driving the film at high voltage and high frequency, the dissipation factor of the film may
result in substantial energy loss in the form of heat. Also, the surface resistivity of the electrodes
may become significant, especially with vacuum metallized film. Very high localized currents may
be encountered. Operation within the field limits given in the Technical Manual is strongly
recommended since any arcing will normally destroy the device.
Silver ink, screenprinted onto both film surfaces, has been developed to withstand high voltage and
high localized currents. The silver ink metallization has been successfully used in tweeters and active
vibration damping applications. The DT1 sample is electroded with the silver ink. The unmetallized
border mitigates potential for arcing across the film's thickness. The offset lead attach tabs also
preclude high voltage breakdown, as the conductor at each lead attach site is on one side only.

Mechanical Design Considerations

The output energy is proportional to the volume of film stressed. Film thickness may be chosen to
optimize the electrical signal or in view of mechanical strength considerations. Thicker films generate
higher voltages but form smaller capacitors, so a laminate of thinner film with a compatible, passive
material such as polyester (i.e. the LDT1-028K) may be preferable to a single thicker film. Any area
of film that is not undergoing stress will act as a capacitive load on the "active" area and should be
minimized if required.
Most metallizations are subject to corrosion, especially when handled. Thin conformal coatings or
laminates are frequently applied to maintain surface quality. Acrylics adhesives, synthetic rubber
resins, epoxies and cyano-acrylates are all frequently employed in lamination and assembly.
Some designs may use external metallic or conductive substrates as the electrodes, in which case
unmetallized film may be used to good advantage. The external metal surface can be in direct

Page 6
contact with the unmetallized film to collect the charge, or, capacitive coupling through thin adhesive
tapes or epoxy layers can be employed for ac applications. Patterning of the electrodes is especially
useful for defining specific active areas on a continuous sheet and also to allow die-cutting of
elements with a clear border around the cut area. Displacement (offset) of upper and lower electrode
tabs at the connection point is good practice to prevent unpredictable piezo behavior in this area
caused by the influence of the wire terminations. This also allows low cost penetrative lead-attach
methods to be used (crimps or eyelets).

Joint Electrical and Mechanical Design Considerations

The capacitive nature of piezo film devices implies that they are susceptible to Electro Magnetic
Interference (EMI). This becomes increasingly more important as the output signal level drops.
EMI can be ignored where the output is high or when the film is being driven in a non-critical
environment. A.C. mains interference may become a problem with unshielded devices. Another
potential problem exists when one electrode element is being driven and an another is receiving the
vibration signal. Care must be taken to avoid "crosstalk".
Use of ready-made shielded elements (SDT1-028K) supplied with coaxial cable eliminates these
problems, but simple measures may be taken with any device to avoid interference.
Unwanted frequencies may be filtered out electronically. If the sensor is to be mounted on a
conductive substrate, then this may form one half of a grounded envelope, with the outer electrode
forming the other half. Lightweight shielded cable is readily available and is an alternative to twisted
pair wires. Attention should be paid to the point of connection itself as this is also an area of EMI
vulnerability.
Durable lead attachment techniques have been fully developed by MSI, and most products are
supplied with leads preattached. As indicated, some form of coaxial cable is often employed and
must be interfaced to a very thin flexible material. Reinforcement at the lead attach site may be
required, which can introduce some acoustic effects into the transducer if the interconnection site is
free to vibrate.
Thin copper foil backed with a conductive adhesive can provide excellent but non-permanent
connections to the film. An area of 1 cm² will give a contact resistance of a few mΩ s. Crimp-
through connectors as used for flexible circuits are routinely used with offset electrode patterns, but
thin films require some physical reinforcement for good results. Polyester reinforcement at the lead
attach site is a common method to ruggedize the interconnection. The stiffener may lie between the
crimp and the electrode with only minor degradation of contact resistance. Typical values are
150-500 mΩ. Miniature rivets, eyelets and even nuts and bolts, with washers, all combine great
strength with good contact resistance at typically less than 100 mΩ. These techniques may be used to
connect to cables using solder tags, or direct onto printed circuit boards.
Clamping methods, either direct to the conductive traces on the PCB or using conductive rubber,
ZEBRA® connectors, lugs and washers have all been used with success. Direct connection using
silver-loaded (conductive) epoxy also works well, but requires curing time, often at elevated
temperature, for best results.
As indicated earlier, other materials may form the electrodes themselves, such as PCB traces or
conductive rubber. Capacitive coupling through thin adhesive layers is practical under some a.c.
circumstances, allowing some unusual transducer designs with apparently no lead attachment at all!

ZEBRA is a registered trademark of Fujipoly.

Page 7
LEAD ATTACHMENT TECHNIQUES FOR PIEZO FILM SENSORS
Introduction
How to make reliable Figure 4. Typical piezo film patterns
interconnection to DT PATTERN
piezo film is one of the TOP ELECTRODE
most frequently asked ACTIVE PIEZO FILM AREA
customer questions. B (TOP & BOTTOM ELECTRODES OVERLAP)

With this in mind, MSI

has paid great attention A A

to the development of CROSS SECTION B-B

techniques to simplify
B
BOTTOM ELECTRODE

interconnection to CROSS SECTION A-A

piezo film elements.
Today, most of the KEYHOLE PATTERN

sensor elements TOP ELECTRODE

ACTIVE PIEZO FILM AREA

supplied to customers BOTTOM ELECTRODE

from our Division have

leads already attached. A A

The aim of this article

is to examine and
discuss available CROSS SECTION A-A

interconnection
options.
Some of the most convenient interconnection techniques require that MSI apply patterned electrodes
on one or both surfaces of the piezo film—this can always be done to customers' requirements
during manufacture— alternatively, a simple method achieving the same goal is presented at the end
of the text. In general, patterned electrodes are achieved during piezo film manufacturing by screen
printing conductive inks, metal masking during sputtered electrode deposition, or chemically etching
patterns by photolithographic techniques.

The Targets
Considered here are the design objectives desired for the lead-attach method. Not all objectives can
be achieved with any one technique. Designers should identify the most important objectives and
select among the interconnection options accordingly.
! High conductivity/low resistance — surprisingly, high conductivity interconnection is not a
particularly important parameter for most piezoelectric applications. Piezo transducers are
frequently used in high-impedance circuits where inclusion of a few ohms does not usually affect
performance. More important, however, is consistence—the resistance should not fluctuate
during use since this will introduce a source of electrical noise.
! Low mass — this is especially important when the piezo film is not to be clamped to a
mechanical support structure. The acoustic effect created by the mechanical vibration of the
mass of the interconnection on an otherwise flexible structure can be dramatic.
! Low profile — many piezo film applications arise by virtue of the low thicknesses of piezo film.
Interrupting this with bulk terminations is often prohibited. Contact vibration sensors can show
distinct resonances if film is not bonded flush to the contact surface to include the
interconnection.
! Flexibility — here again is a property that must often match that of the film itself. Some degree
of flexibility is a distinct advantage in many applications.
! Low area — useful piezo devices can be quite literally be employed as "point" receivers. Small
piezo-active areas (where the top and bottom conductors fully overlap) can be configured with
Page 8
 displaced or off-set lead-attach tabs. The top and bottom tabs are off-set with respect to each
other (when viewed through the film thickness). This allows a precisely defined active area
(overlapped electrodes) with non-piezo conductors (off-set tabs) leading to remote bonding sites,
a technique most frequently employed for "small" devices.
! Mechanical Strength — very often the greatest strain experienced by a polymer transducer is
around the connection, whether by accident (tripping over the cable) or by design. In general,
those methods which involve the interconnection penetrating through the film at the off-set tab
locations with crimps, eyelets or rivets yield the best ultimate strain resistance. Often the lead
attach area is reinforced with polyester to improve the strength of the penetrative
interconnection.
! Long-term Stability — including all the usual environmental parameters. Most interconnections
have unlimited life (crimps, eyelets, conductive rubber connectors). Others have a more limited
shelf life (conductive tapes)
! Speed and Ease of application — of particular importance when high volume production is
planned. Many interconnection techniques are supported by semi-automatic equipment for
volume production (crimps, eyelets) while others are labor intensive (conductive adhesives).
! Electrical strength — an issue associated mainly with electrically driven (high voltage) elements
such as loudspeakers and actuators.

The Design Considerations

Two major issues control the selection of lead-attach methods:
! Is anchorage of the film allowed at the site of lead-attach? This can be a major advantage, for
example, direct connection or capacitive coupling to the conductive traces of a printed-circuit
board.
! Is special patterning of the film available, which would allow penetrative techniques? (with MSI
Sensors custom patterning service, the answer is almost always "yes.") Simple experimental
methods allow the same result.
This concludes the "questions" section—now, hopefully, are the "answers."

The Methods
Penetrative - Here the Figure 4.
techniques involve piercing the
film (and possibly additional
reinforcing laminates to give
sufficient thickness and
strength), and thus the film
should be patterned with a
displaced or off-set lead-out
arrangement to prevent
shorting of upper and lower
electrodes by the inserted
connector.
! Rivets or eyelets can be
affixed to the off-set
conductive traces on the
piezo film. Included
between the eyelet or rivet
can be a ring tongue lug terminal with wire attached. The eyelet or rivet mechanically presses the
conductive ring against the off-set patterned electrode to make reliable interconnection.

Page 9
! To affix the piezo film directly to a
PCB, small "POP" or "blind" rivets Figure 5.
or eyelets can be used in
conjunction with patterned film PLATED THROUGH HOLE
electrodes and the conductive tracks P.C.B
on the PCB to allow a single A PLATED THROUGH HOLE

operation to form the TOP ELECTRODE

interconnection. During screen

printing of conductive ink
electrodes, a small “plated through A A

hole” can be formed in one of the

off-set tabs, thereby bringing both BOTTOM ELECTRODE
conductors to the same side of the TRACE ON P.C.B
OR FLEX CIRCUIT
A

piezo film. This greatly facilitates PIEZO FILM

riveting the film electrode tabs to

the corresponding PCB traces. If CROSS SECTION A-A

the “plated through hole” technique

is not used, then the top film electrode can be electrically connected by the rivet to a conductive
trace on the underside of the PCB.
The bottom film electrode is
Figure 6.
electrically connected to a
corresponding trace on the top of DT PATTERN BOLTED TO P.C.B

the PCB and held in intimate P.C.B.

contact by the pressure exerted by PLATED THROUGH HOLE

TOP ELECTRODE
the rivet.
! Nuts and bolts - Wires terminated
with washers, ring-tongue lugs,
solder-tags, etc. can easily be
incorporated with small nuts and
bolts. P.C.B. TRACE

! Crimp Connectors — generally, BOLT

WASHER

crimps designed for flexible circuit TOP ELECTRODE

technology work well with piezo PIEZO FILM

film elements. Crimps can have P.C.B. BOTTOM ELECTRODE

solder tabs for affixing wires, or the P.C.B. TRACE

crimp ends can be inserted into

corresponding holes in a PCB and soldered to the underside of the PCB (maximum of a few
second soldering time so as not to overheat the film).
Like the eyelets mentioned above,
crimps are normally designed to Figure 7.
work with a specified thickness of
"substrate," so film may require
"padding" on one side (i.e., DT PATTERN WITH CRIMP CONNECTOR
polyester reinforcement) to CRIMP CONNECTOR

accommodate the crimp

connectors. Additionally, a
complete multi-way connector may
be crimped to a more complex A A
device, giving straight plug-in
compatibility with other POLYESTER REINFORCEMENT

connectors. PIEZO FILM

PROTECTIVE COAT

Page 10
Non-penetrative (and temporary) - Conductive-adhesive coated Copper Foil Tape (e.g., 3M
#1181)—available in widths from 3mm up to 25mm. Best results are obtained by...
! Using a "reasonable" area of Figure 9.
tape (perhaps about 1cm or
more). Small pieces do tend to DT PATTERN WITH COPPER TAPE
lift off easily. WIRE
! Soldering wires to the tape COPPER TAPE

FIRST, then removing the

liner and adhering with gentle
pressure to film. If small areas
are to be used, solder before
cutting the contact pad down
to size, thus leaving the excess
area to act as a heat sink. SOLDER TOP ELECTRODE
Soldering does appear to
degrade the adhesive PIEZO FILM

properties in the vicinity of the BOTTOM ELECTRODE

joint. NOTE: 3M does not COPPER TAPE WITH Z-AXIS

recommend relying on the CONDUCTIVE ADHESIVE

conductive adhesive in this

way and suggest an embossed
version of the same tape. The tape is really designed for large area contacts to metal, but results
have shown this method to be an effective, if not guaranteed, technique. An aluminum version
of this product is available (Part No. 1170). Beware of similar tapes that do not have conductive
adhesives (although these can be used for shielding, etc.)
! Conductive Transfer Tape—e.g., 3M #9702 (Preliminary product). An acrylic adhesive layer
loaded with conductive particles giving excellent "Z-axis" conductivity (i.e., through the
thickness of the tape) with very high resistivity in the X and Y axes. Thus single or multiple-way
connections may be made with a single strip. This material is relatively new. Initial results seem
very promising. Obviously this can be used to make direct connection with PC board or strip, or
to sections of foil with soldered leads.
! Negative aspects are a) high cost, and b) like all transfer adhesives, there is a tendency for the
material to adhere to its own liners around the edge so that "stringing" occurs on liner removal.
NOTE: Since time of writing, this product has been superseded by an improved version (#9703)
with an easy-release liner. This may not yet be generally available.
! Conductive Epoxy. This is usually available in two-part form (adhesive and hardener). Precise
metering and mixing of the small quantities usually required is rather difficult and messy. One-
part, pre-mixed material is available as a product which is stored at very low temperature and
should be used and cured at room temperature. Curing of any epoxy mix can usually be
accelerated by use of higher temperature, but since the piezo film has a modest high-temp
capability, curing is often a long term process (many hours, a day). Some mechanical clamping is
usually required on the parts to be bonded. Final reinforcement with "ordinary" epoxy can be
reassuring. Negative aspects: difficulty of use, cure time, higher cost, short "shelf life."
! Low melting-point Alloys—some alloys (e.g., Indium/Tin/Bismuth) which are known as "fusible
alloys" rather than "solders," melt at temperatures which allow them to be used on piezo film
with suitable metallization (e.g., gold, cooper, silver or silver ink). Rather aggressive fluxes are
often required, and the joint may be brittle. Mechanical strength is limited by the adhesion of the
metallization onto the film surface, so once again, reinforcement with epoxy may help. For joints
that must be very small and do not need undue mechanical strength this may prove a valuable
technique. Negative aspects: only certain metallizations are appropriate, sample quantities hard to
come by. Mechanical strength limited [Indium Corp.]
! Zebra® Connectors — Conductive rubber spliced with insulating rubber as used to form
contacts to LCD displays. High density multiple-way contacts may be made. External clamping
of contacts is required.

Page 11
! Mechanical clamping—simply Figure 10.
sandwiching the film between
DT PATTERN WITH Z-AXIS CONDUCTIVE
two conductive surfaces RUBBER INTERCONNECTION
(possibly using a thin layer of
conductive-loaded rubber) can Z-AXIS CONDUCTIVE RUBBER
PLATED THROUGH HOLE
TOP ELECTRODE
provide excellent results. Two A A

rings can provide useful support P.C.B

for diaphragms, speakers, etc.
! Capacitive Coupling - In certain
applications, no metal electrode
is required on the piezo film
BOTTOM ELECTRODE
itself. Thin, non-conductive TRACE

adhesives can affix the RIVET OR EYELET

unmetallized film to a MECHANICAL SUPPORT

conductive surface. The

conductive surface in effect PROTECTIVE
provides the film’s electrodes in COAT

ac applications. A PCB, having CROSS SECTION A-A

conductive pads on one surface

corresponding to the desired
active sensor area, is an embodiment of this concept. The opposite piezo film surface can be
metallized with a ground electrode. The film can be sandwiched between two conductive
surfaces with or without adhesive to form electrodes.

User Etching of Piezo Film Electrodes

Patterned electrodes are available from MSI in either silver screen printed ink or as sputtered
electrodes. In some instances, customers purchase fully metallized sheets for experimentation, and
want to produce their own patterns. This is very difficult with screen printed inks as they cannot be
easily etched or mechanically braided. For sputtered electrodes, standard photolithographic
techniques work quite well.
In order to pattern piezo film in such a way as to allow penetration of film without shorting top and
bottom electrodes, a very simple technique may be employed which works on any vacuum deposited
electrodes (NOTE: not recommended for Ag Ink.)
One terminal of a power source (bench p.s.u. or 9 volt battery) is connected via a conductor pad or
block by mechanical pressure to the piece of film in question. The other terminal is brought to a
conductive point (needle, wire-end, blunt scalpel, etc.) and the area required to be isolated simply
drawn around. Sufficient current normally passes to cause arcing at the point contact and the
metallization is vaporized. Concentric "guard rings" may be drawn for extra confidence.
For more complex patterning of thin sputtered metallization, it is possible to coat the piezo film with
photoresist aerosol (both sides if necessary). The cured spray can then be exposed through a mask
using UV light, as with conventional PCB techniques, and then dipped in an etchant. Complete
etching of the very thin metal layer occurs in seconds.
Copper/Nickel metallizations etch very well with standard PCB etchant (ferric chloride). Other
metals require special etchants for good results (Aquaregia for gold). Remember that the metallization
layer may only be a few hundred atoms thick (300-700 Å), and therefore fine traces are very
vulnerable to scratching or cracking.

Page 12
High Voltage Techniques
The use of piezo film as a vibration exciter requires separate consideration. Since the impedance of a
capacitive transducer decreases with frequency and approaches infinity for low frequencies, very high
voltages (a few hundred volts typically) may be required to drive, for example, full audio-range
loudspeakers. Frequently, transformers are used to step up moderate voltages to supply the required
drive signal. Under these circumstances, extreme stresses may be placed upon the connections.
Consider first applying a voltage step of 30V to a capacitor of 100nF with an overall circuit resistance
of 2 ohms. The initial current pulse peaks at 15 amps (assuming the supply is capable of supplying
this). Such a current "spike" may well show up defects in connectors.
Consider next a transformer which steps 12V signals up to 240V. A DC current in the primary of 200
µA (corresponding to an applied voltage of 0.5 volts), when broken, may cause a voltage surge of 830
volts across the secondary circuit, well in the excess of the expected X 20 magnification factor. Even
with heavy capacitive loading, high voltages may be seen. Worse still, if the secondary circuit is
broken, current pulses exceeding 60A with durations of only tens of nanoseconds may arise. Such
phenomena should not trouble well-formed connections. But if a lead-attach method has been used
which has any trapped air, the effect of the reduced dielectric constant may be to promote
breakdown. Such events may be catastrophic, as the familiar crackling sound and lively blue sparks
will testify.
Solutions are:
1. Silver ink electrodes are a must - the thin sputtered electrodes cannot withstand the high voltages
2. Large area contacts to reduce stress. We paint silver ink around eyelets/rivets to provide extra
conduction paths to the film electrode.
3. (Possibly) a semi-resistive contact pad to reduce current surges—equivalent to including a series
resistance in the circuit. Practical values up to about 1 k will produce only a fractional loss in output
and will reduce the magnitude of current spikes.

FREQUENCY RESPONSE
Unlike piezo ceramic transducers, piezo film
transducers offer wide dynamic range and are Figure 10. Clamped film in d31 mode produces sound
also broadband. These wide band
characteristics (near dc to 2GHz) and low Q
are partly attributable to the polymers'
softness. As audio transmitters, a curved
piezo film element, clamped at each end,
vibrates in the length (d31) mode, as shown in
Figure 10. Piezo film is a very high fidelity
tweeter, also used in novelty speakers for
toys, inflatables and apparel. The d31
configuration (Figure 10) is also used for air
ultrasound ranging applications up to
frequencies of about 50 KHz.
When used as a high ultrasonic transmitter (generally >500KHz), piezo film is normally operated in
the thickness (d33) mode. Maximum transmission occurs at thickness resonance. The basic half-
wavelength resonance of 28µm piezo film is about 40 MHz:

v 2.2 x 103 m/sec

fr  
2t 2 x 28 x 106m

Page 13
 Figure 11. Dielectric permittivity and dissipation factor
vs. frequency
Resonance values thus depend on film thickness.
They range from low MHz for thick films
(1,000µ m ) to >100MHz for very thin films.
Figure 11 shows the effect that frequency has on
permittivity and dissipation factor at room
temperature. As a result of its very low permittivity
… (1 percent that of piezo ceramics), the film
exhibits g-constants (voltage output coefficients)
that are significantly greater than piezo ceramics
(g = d/…).

PIEZO FILM AT LOW FREQUENCIES

Introduction
The behavior of a piezo film component at low frequencies is fairly straightforward to describe in
electrical terms, yet is quite frequently misunderstood. Since any practical application of the
technology will most likely involve some consideration of this topic, it is the intent of this article to
examine the subject at some length. The treatment is made as non-mathematical as possible, with
verbal descriptions and real-world examples being used to illustrate the concepts. Some familiarity
with the use of FFT techniques to transform between time-domain and frequency-domain
descriptions is assumed, but not essential.

Connecting Up
In most instances, the first evaluation of piezo film begins with connecting a piezo component to an
oscilloscope via a probe ("scope probe"). Under normal electronics circumstances, a scope probe
can be considered to be an "infinite impedance" - so high, that its effect on the circuit under test can
be neglected. Not so with piezo film - in many cases, a scope probe can act almost like a short-
circuit. Typical probes, when plugged in to an oscilloscope, have an effective resistance of 1MΩ (one
million ohms). Others may be fixed at 10MΩ, while many are conveniently switchable between "x1"
( 1MΩ) and "x10" (10MΩ). Note that the physical element comprising the 1MΩ resistance is usually
built into the oscilloscope input stage, rather than being a discrete component within the probe itself.
A "x1" probe is thus basically a length of shielded cable with suitable contacts attached to each end.

Source Capacitance
To analyze what will happen when the probe is connected, we now need to consider the properties
of the piezo film element. Perhaps the most important characteristic (after the piezoelectric property,
of course) is the material's capacitance. Capacitance is a measure of any component's ability to store
electrical charge, and is always present when two conductive plates are brought close together. In
our case, the conductive plates are the conductive electrodes printed or metallized onto each surface
of the film. The capacitance of the device is strongly affected by the properties of the insulator
serving to space the plates apart, and the measure of the insulator's capacity to store charge is given
by its dielectric constant or permittivity.

Page 14
PVDF has a high dielectric constant compared with most polymers, with its value being about 12
(relative to the permittivity of free space).
Obviously, the capacitance of an element will increase as its plate area increases, so a large sheet of
film will have a larger capacitance than a small element. Capacitance also increases as the film
thickness decreases, so for the same surface geometry, a thin film will have a higher capacitance than a
thick film.
These factors are formally related in the equation: C …
A
t

where C is the capacitance of the film,

… is the permittivity (which can also be expressed in the form
… = …r…0 where εr is the relative permittivity (about 12 for PVDF), and ε0 is the
permittivity of free space (a constant, 8.854 x 10-12 F/m)
A is the active (overlap) area of the film's electrodes
and t is the film thickness

The units of capacitance are Farads (F), but Table 3. Capacitance values of common piezo film components
usually much smaller sub-multiples are
encountered: microfarads (µF or 10-6 F),
nanofarads (nF or 10-9 F) and picofarads (pF Description Part No. Capacitance
or 10-12 F).
LDT0-028K/L 0-1002794-1 500 pF

DT1-028K/L 1-1002908-0 1.3 nF

The capacitance of any piezo film element
can be calculated using the formula, or DT1-052K/L 2-1002908-0 650 pF
measured directly using a hand-held DT2-028K/L 1-1003744-0 2.6 nF
capacitance meter, or bench-top instrument
such as an "LCR bridge". DT4-028K/L 1-1002150-0 9 nF

8" x 11" 28 µm 1-1003702-4 30 nF

Capacitance values should be quoted at a
given measurement frequency - where this is HYD-CYL-100 0-1001911-1 43 pF
not given, a frequency of 1 KHz is often
assumed. Capacitance values of piezo film
components usually decrease as the measurement frequency
increases. Figure 12. Piezo film element as a simple
voltage generator

Equivalent Circuit of Piezo Film

We are now ready to draw out an electrical equivalent of the
piezo film element. There are two equally valid "models" - one
is a voltage source in series with a capacitance, the other a charge
generator in parallel with a capacitance - but the latter is
uncommon in electrical circuit analysis and we will concentrate
on the voltage source (see Figure 12).
The dashed line represents the "contents" of the piezo film
component. The voltage source VS is the piezoelectric
generator itself, and this source is directly proportional to the
applied stimulus (pressure, strain, etc). It is not the purpose of

Page 15
this article to elaborate further on the calculations involved, but it is important to realize that this
voltage will absolutely follow the applied stimulus - it is a "perfect" source.
Note, however, that the node marked "X" can never be accessed! The film's capacitance C0 will
always be present and connected when we monitor the "output" of the film at the electrodes.

Adding in a resistive load

Now we can add in the effect of connecting up to the oscilloscope. The oscilloscope and its probe
are modeled simply as a pure resistance, although in reality there will be a very small capacitance
associated with the probe and the cable (usually in the region of 30 to 50 pF). This can be neglected
if the film capacitance is significantly higher in value.
The voltage measured across the load resistor RL will
not necessarily be the same voltage developed by the Figure 13. Adding the oscilloscope as resistive
"perfect" source (VS). load

To see why, it is helpful to redraw this circuit in

another way.

Potential Divider
With the circuit shown in Figure 13 redrawn as in
Figure 14, it is easier to see why the full source voltage
does not always appear across the resistive load.
A potential divider is formed by the series connection of
the capacitance and the resistance. Since the
capacitance has an impedance which varies with
frequency, the share of the full source voltage which
appears across RL also varies with frequency.
The proportion (VL) of VS which appears across RL is given by:
j
Figure 14. Potential divider ZCjXRCL
V L 2πfC
RLZ C
where

(j denoting B-1, and XC being the reactance of the capacitive

element. For simplicity, we ignore any resistive component of the
film's impedance).
The above equations may be used in simple ways to calculate the
voltage level expected to be observed in simple cases where the
frequency of excitation is constant, and so a value of f can simply
be substituted. In many real-world cases, however, there may be a
distribution of signal energy over a band of frequencies. Then it
becomes useful to consider the "frequency response" of the
network.

Page 16
Frequency Figure 15. Magnitude response of R-C filter
Response
This is illustrated in the
following example graphs.
First, a lin/lin plot is
shown (Figure 15, linear y-
scale or amplitude, plotted
against linear x-scale or
frequency) with the
corresponding phase plot
(Figure 16) also shown in
lin/lin form. Following Figure 16. Phase response of R-C filter
these is a log/log plot
(Figure 17), which will be
dealt with in a little greater
detail.
Note that the phase curve
indicates that at very low
frequencies, the observed
voltage will show
significant phase deviation
from the source (limiting at
-90o or -π/2 radians at "dc"
or zero Hz). The significance of this effect is great if the piezo film element is to be used as part of a
control loop.
Figure 17. Magnitude response shown as log/log plot

Page 17
Analysis of the log/log R-C frequency response curve
Some key features:
# the overall characteristic of this network is known as a high-pass filter
# the frequency at which the magnitude falls to 0.707 or -3 dB is known as the "cut-off" or
"corner" frequency of the high-pass filter
# this frequency can be calculated as f(c) = 1/(2πRC), when both the resistance R and capacitance
C are known
# at frequencies well below the cut-off frequency, the plot has the form of a straight line with
gradient +20 dB/decade (in other words, doubling the frequency will double the signal
amplitude) - this characteristic is identical with that of a differentiator network, and gives an output
which is proportional to the rate of change of the input quantity
# at frequencies well above the cut-off frequency, the plot is level at "unity gain" and the output is
directly proportional to the input quantity
# the filter characteristic can be approximated by these two intersecting straight lines, but the
magnitude actually follows an asymptotic curve, with magnitude -3 dB at the cut-off frequency
where the straight lines cross
# the filter characteristic can then be applied to the frequency-domain description of any practical
signal by multiplying the filter transfer characteristic with the spectrum of the input signal, and
deriving a response curve (output) which can in turn be transformed back into a time-domain
signal.
Some practical examples of the effect of this filter characteristic will be shown next. For each signal,
the time-domain description of the "perfect source" (e.g. the waveform which would be seen on an
oscilloscope if the filter characteristic was absent) is given first, followed by its spectrum (obtained by
use of the FFT [Fast Fourier Transform] algorithm supplied in the analysis software), then the filter
characteristic (identical for all examples, but shown to emphasize the effect), then the resulting
output signal spectrum obtained by multiplying the complex input spectrum by the complex filter
characteristic, and finally the corresponding time-domain description obtained by inverse FFT, which
shows the waveform an engineer would expect to observe in reality.
Note: in Figures 15, 16 and 17 the R-C values used to generate the curve were R = 1MΩ
and C = 4.5 nF. In the following plots, the value of C was reduced to 1.5 nF. These
values were chosen somewhat arbitrarily to demonstrate the principle, and so the
scaling on the curves has not been annotated. But the time waveforms can be read in
x units of seconds, and the frequency curves with x units of Hz. The cut-off
frequency for R = 1MΩ and C = 1.5 nF is approximately 106 Hz.

Page 18
Key to following figures

Figure 18 shows a relatively high-frequency sine wave passing through the network. In the
input spectrum, the signal is represented by a single spectral line at the appropriate
frequency. This frequency is just below the filter "cut-off", and so is only slightly
attenuated by the network. The resulting output wave is diminished in amplitude, and
slightly shifted in phase.

Figure 19 shows the same process applied to a slower sine wave. In this case, the attenuation is
much greater, and the phase shift more significant. This situation occurs when trying
to monitor steady vibration at "too low" a frequency using a piezo sensor. The phase
behavior may be significant if a control loop is to be implemented.

Figure 20 shows a harmonic series, with a number of discrete spectral lines all lying below the
cut-off frequency. Each is attenuated to a different extent, and so the "balance" of
harmonics in the output signal is altered.

Figure 21 shows a slow half-sine input pulse (typical of many mechanical impact signals).
Although the high-frequency content is largely unaltered, the output waveform
appears heavily "distorted" and clearly shows both positive and negative excursions,
whereas the input waveform is unipolar.

Figure 22 shows a sawtooth waveform with slowly rising "leading edge" followed by a "snap"
descent back to zero. Many piezo switches detect this form of mechanical event. In
the output waveform, the "leading edge" has almost disappeared, but the "snap" gives
almost full amplitude. Note the polarity of the output pulse relative to the input
waveform.

Page 19
 Figure 18. Effect of R-C filter on High Frequency Sine Wave input waveform

a) Input waveform

b) Input spectrum

c) Filter characteristic

d) Output spectrum

e) Output waveform

Page 20
 Figure 19. Effect of R-C filter on Low Frequency Sine Wave input waveform

a) Input waveform

b) Input spectrum

c) Filter characteristic

d) Output spectrum

e) Output waveform

Page 21
 Figure 20. Effect of R-C filter on Harmonic Series input waveform

a) Input waveform

b) Input spectrum

c) Filter characteristic

d) Output spectrum

e) Output waveform

Page 22
 Figure 21. Effect of R-C filter on Slow Half-Sine Transient input waveform

a) Input waveform

b) Input spectrum

c) Filter characteristic

d) Output spectrum

e) Output waveform

Page 23
 Figure 22. Effect of R-C filter on Slow Sawtooth Transient input waveform

a) Input waveform

b) Input spectrum

c) Filter characteristic

d) Output spectrum

e) Output waveform

Page 24
TEMPERATURE EFFECTS
Figure 23. Thermal stability of d33 constant - 70bC annealed PVDF
Many of the properties of piezo film
change with excitation frequency and
temperature. These properties are
reversible and repeatable with either
frequency or temperature cycling.
In addition, Figure 23 shows the
permanent decay of the piezoelectric
strain constant d33 for PVDF,
annealed at 70oC, after long term
exposure to elevated temperatures.

Having reached a stabilizing temperature, the material properties then remain constant with time. Piezo film
can be annealed to specific operating (or maximum storage) temperatures to achieve long-term stability for
high temperature applications. Figure 24 shows
the reversible temperature effects on d33 and g31 Figure 24. Temperature coefficient for d33 and g31
coefficients for PVDF. constants - PVDF

In Figures 25a and 25b, the effect of temperature

on the dielectric constant (ε/εO ) and dissipation
factor (tan δe) are shown for copolymer films.
Piezo films have been shown to offer excellent
transducer properties at very low (cryogenic)
temperatures.

Figure 25a. Dielectric loss tangent vs. temperature Figure 25b. Dielectric constant vs. temperature
COPOLYMER COPOLYMER

Page 25
PIEZOELECTRIC CABLE AND PROPERTIES
One of the most recent developments in piezo polymer technology is piezo cable. The cable has the
appearance of standard coaxial cable, but is constructed with a piezoelectric polymer insulator between the
copper braid outer shield and the inner conductor (Figure 26).
Protected by a rugged polyethylene jacket, the cable is used in buried or fence security systems, traffic
sensors including vehicle classification and weight-in-motion systems, and taxiway sensors for aircraft
identification, safety and security applications. Other applications include sensors for anti-tampering, door
edge safety monitoring, floor mats, touch pads
and panels, and patient mattress monitors. The Figure 26. Piezo cable construction
new cables feature the same piezoelectric
properties that are characteristic of piezo film
sensors. The electrical output is proportional to
the stress imparted to the cable. The long, thin
piezoelectric insulating layer provides a relatively
low output impedance (600 pF/m), unusual for
a piezoelectric device. The dynamic range of the
cable is substantial (>200 dB), sensing distant,
small amplitude vibrations caused by rain or hail,
yet responding linearly to the impacts of heavy
trucks. The cables have withstood pressures of
100 MPa. The typical operating temperature
range is -40 to +125bC. Table 4 lists typical
properties for piezo cable.

Table 4. Piezo Cable Typical Properties

Parameter Units Value

Capacitance @ 1KHz pF/m 600
Tensile Strength MPa 60
Young's Modulus GPa 2.3
Density kg/m3 1890
Acoustic Impedance MRayl 4.0
Relative Permittivity @1KHz 9
tan δe @1KHz 0.017
Hydrostatic Piezo Coefficient pC/N 15
Longitudinal Piezo Coefficient Vm/N 250 x 10-3
Hydrostatic Piezo Coefficient Vm/N 150 x 10-3
Electromechanical Coupling % 20
Energy Output mJ/Strain (%) 10
Voltage Output kV/Strain (%) 5

Page 26
Cable Typical Properties
The output sensitivity of piezo cable in response to increasing impact load is shown in Figure 27a. The
linearity in output for increasing force as shown in Figure 27b is typical of all piezo cable gages.

PIEZOELECTRIC BASICS
Figure 27a. Sensitivity vs. load Figure 27b. Piezo cable linearity

Mechanical to Electrical
Like water from a sponge, piezoelectric materials generate charge when squeezed. The amplitude and
frequency of the signal is directly proportional to the mechanical deformation of the piezoelectric material.
The resulting deformation causes a change in the surface charge density of the material so that a voltage
appears between the electroded surfaces. When the force is reversed, the output voltage is of opposite
polarity. A reciprocating force thus results in an alternating output voltage.
Piezo film, like all piezoelectric materials, is a dynamic material that develops an electrical charge
proportional to a change in mechanical stress. Piezoelectric materials are not suitable static measurements
(true dc) due to their internal resistance. The electrical charges developed by piezo film decay with a time
constant that is determined by the dielectric constant and the internal resistance of the film, as well as the
input impedance of the interface electronics to which the film is connected. Practically speaking, the lowest
frequency measurable with piezo film is in the order of 0.001Hz. There are methods to achieve true dc
response, but these require using the piezo film as both an actuator and sensor, monitoring change in the
actuation resulting from the dc event.
The fundamental piezoelectric coefficients for charge or voltage predict, for small stress (or strain) levels,
the charge density (charge per unit area) or voltage field (voltage per unit thickness) developed by the piezo
polymer.

Page 27
Charge Mode:
Under conditions approaching a short circuit, the generated charge density is given by:
D = Q/A = d3nXn (n = 1, 2, or 3)
The mechanical axis (n) of the applied stress (or strain), by convention, is:
1 = length (or stretch) direction
2 = width (or transverse) direction
3 = thickness direction
where
D = charge density developed
Q = charge developed
A = conductive electrode area
d3n = appropriate piezoelectric coefficient for the axis of applied stress or strain
n = axis of applied stress or strain
Xn = stress applied in the relevant direction
It is important to note that the d3n coefficient is commonly expressed in pico-Coulombs per Newton
(pC/N), but the more correct form would be (pC/m2)/(N/m2) since the areas (m2) upon which the stresses
or strains apply are very often different and cannot be "canceled".
Voltage Mode:
The open-circuit output voltage is given by:
Vo = g3nXnt (n = 1, 2, or 3, as above)
where
g = appropriate piezoelectric coefficient for the axis of applied stress or strain
Xn = applied stress in the relevant direction
t = the film thickness
Piezo Coefficients:
Figure 28. Numerical classification of axes
The most widely used piezo coefficients, d3n and g3n,
charge and voltage respectively, possess two subscripts.
The first refers to the electrical axis, while the second
subscript refers to the mechanical axis. Because piezo
film is thin, the electrodes are only applied to the top
and bottom film surfaces. Accordingly, the electrical
axis is always "3", as the charge or voltage is always
transferred through the thickness (n = 3) of the film.
The mechanical axis can be either 1, 2, or 3, since the
stress can be applied to any of these axes, as shown in
Figure 28.
Typically, piezo film is used in the mechanical 1
direction for low frequency sensing and actuation (<
100KHz) and in the mechanical 3 direction for high
ultrasound sensing and actuation (> 100KHz).

Page 28
Directionality:
Piezoelectric materials are anisotropic. This means that their electrical and mechanical responses differ
depending upon the axis of applied electrical field or axis of mechanical stress or strain. Calculations
involving piezo activity must account for this directionality.

EXAMPLE 1:

A 1.45 psi load (10,000 N/m2) is applied to a piezo film switch of 2.54 cm length, 2.54 cm width
and 110µm in film thickness. The switch element is rigidly backed, so the force acts to compress
the film's thickness (therefore g33 mode). In this example the load acts on the length by width area
of the piezo film. The open circuit voltage developed across the thickness of the piezo film is:
Vo  g33 Xt
V/m
g33  339 x 103
N/m 2

where:
V/m is Volts out per meter of piezo film thickness
N/m2 is stress applied to the relevant film area. The conversion from psi to
N/m2 is approximately 7,000.

V/m
Vo   339 x 103 (10,000 N/m 2)(110 x 106m)
N/m 2
V  0.373 volts

EXAMPLE 2:

The same piezo film element as in EXAMPLE 1 is subjected to a force (10,000 N/m2 x 0.0254m2
= 6.45 Newtons), but in this example, the film switch is configured as a membrane having a
compliant backing. Now, the force acts on the thickness cross-sectional area (wt). The piezo film is
being stretched by the load, so it is acting in the g31 mode.
F F
Vo  ( 3g31 (t)  (g31)
wt w
V/m
g31  216 x 103
N/m 2
V/m 6.45 N
Vo   216 x 103
N/m 2 2.54 x 102m
Vo  54.9 volts

The sharp increase in output voltage results because the force is applied to the much smaller cross-
sectional area of the film. The small area results in a correspondingly higher stress.

Page 29
Dynamic Range
Piezo film has a vast dynamic range. The sensor has been used to detect the impact of high speed particles
in space having a mass of 10-12 grams, and at the other extreme, measures shock waves at 300,000
atmospheres produced during weapons testing. A recent study was conducted to determine the maximum
output energy of a 52µm thick film, having an area of 155.5 mm x 18.5 mm. The film was subjected to
approximately 350 MPa (in the stretch or "n = 1" direction) without failure. The charge generated was
found to be very linear, with the following measurements made at maximum applied stress:
Maximum Charge Observed: 20µC, giving 6.95 mC/m2
Maximum Voltage Observed: 1600 V, giving 30.8 x 106 V/m
Maximum Energy Converted: 30.9 mJ, giving 207 kJ/m3
Later experiments showed that about 10% of the above energy levels can be sustained for long periods of
time without measurable damage to the piezo film element.

Electrical to Mechanical
When a voltage is applied to a sheet of piezo film, it causes the film to change dimensions due to the
attraction or repulsion of internal dipoles to the applied field.. With one voltage polarity is applied, the piezo
film becomes thinner, longer and wider. The opposite polarity causes the film to contract in length and
width and become thicker. An ac voltage causes the film to "vibrate".
The amount of deformation is given by the piezoelectric "d3n" constant:

for length change ∆l  ld31 V/t

where
∆l = change in film length in meters
l = original film length in meters
d31 = piezoelectric coefficient for length ("n=1" direction) change in meters per volt
V = applied voltage across the thickness (t)

for width change ∆w  wd32V/t

where
d32 = piezoelectric coefficient for width ("n=2" direction) change

for thickness change ∆t  td33V/t  d33V

where
d33 = piezoelectric coefficient for thickness ("n=3" direction) change

Page 30
EXAMPLE 3:

A piezo film of 3 cm length (l), 2 cm width (w) and 9µm thickness (t) is subjected to an
applied voltage of V=200 volts in the 3 (thickness) direction. The amount of strain S
resulting from this electrical input is d times the applied field.

In the l direction:

∆l m/m
S1   d31 (V/t) where d31  23 x 1012
l V/m
m/m (200 V ) ( 3 x 102 m)
∆ l  d31(V/t) l  23 x 1012
V/m ( 9 x 106 m )
∆ l  1.53 x 105 m or 15.3 µm

In the t direction:
m/m
∆ t  td33(V/t) l  d33V 33 x 1012 200 V  6.6 x 109m or 66a
V/m

Actuators
Generally, piezo film actuator designs depend on the application requirements such as operating speed,
displacement, generated force, and available electrical power. Piezo film technology offers various design
options to meet such application requirements. Those design options include:
! Customized electrode patterns on one or both sides of the piezo film sheet.
! Multilaminate structures or bimorphs.
! Fold-over or scrolled multilayer structures.
! Extruded piezo tubes and piezo cables.
! Cast piezo polymer on various substrates
! Molded 3-D structures. Figure 29. Piezo film bimorph

Each design option mentioned above has advantages and

disadvantages. For example, scrolled multilayer actuators
can generate a higher force but may sacrifice some
displacement.

Bimorph
Like a bimetal strip, two sheets of piezo film of opposite
polarities, adhered together form a bending element, or
"bimorph" (Figure 29). An applied voltage causes one film
to lengthen, while the other contracts, causing the unit to
bend. An applied voltage of opposite polarity bends the
bimorph in the opposite direction.
The bimorph configuration converts small length changes
into sizable tip deflections, but producing low force.

Page 31
Thicker films and multilayers improve the force developed by the bimorph, but sacrifice displacement unless
the unit can be operated at higher fields.
The amount of tip deflection and the force developed are given by:
∆x  3/4d31(l 2/t 2)V meters
and
F  3/2Ywd31(t/l)V Newtons
where
∆x = displacement at dc
F = generated force
d31 = piezoelectric coefficient in the "1" direction
l,t,w = length, thickness, and width of piezo film
V = applied voltage (Volts)
Y = Young's modulus of piezo film (2x109N/m2)
By applying an ac voltage, the bimorph can act as a fan, similar to an insect wing. Although the piezo film
bimorph does exhibit a dc response, maximum tip deflections are obtained when the unit is operated at
resonance, determined by the length and thickness of the bimorph beam.

EXAMPLE 4:

100 volts are applied across a 2 cm long cantilever bimorph comprised of two strips of 9 µ m
PVDF. The resultant tip displacement ∆x is:
3/4Vd31 l 2
∆x 
t2
m/m
3/4(100 V) 23 x 1012 (2 x 102 m)2
V/m
∆x 
(9 x 106 m)2
∆x  8.52mm

As shown in the equations, more displacement can be obtained Figure 30. Lead attachment methods for a
from a longer bimorph. Larger forces can be obtained from a bimorph
wider bimorph. The ratio of displacement at a resonance
frequency and dc is defined by Q which indicates a mechanical
gain. A typical Q value for a piezo film bimorph is 20 to 25.
For example, a 5 mm long 70µm thick bimorph with 120 volts
dc creates a displacement of 57µm. With the same bimorph,
however, displacement can be 1.4 mm at the resonant frequency
of 580 Hz. For applications that require a higher force, such as
cooling fans, multilayer construction can be considered. The
resulting output force is proportionally increased by the number
of layers.
In terms of electrical connections to the bimorph, there are two
basic methods as shown in Figure 30 — parallel and series
connections. In order to generate the same amount of
displacement, the parallel connection requires a lower voltage
than the series connection. Series connections, on the other hand,

Page 32
draw less current than parallel connections. For both parallel and series connections, the total electrical
power to the actuator is identical. However, it is obvious that the lead attachment of the series connection is
much simpler than that of the parallel connection for manufacturing purposes. Typical applications of the
bimorph bender are cooling fans, toys, and decoratives.
Scrolled Actuator
The generated force and displacement of a scrolled piezoelectric cylinder in Figure 31 are expressed as
follows:
x  d31El Meters
E  V/t Volts/meters
F  Yd31EA Newtons

f  (1/2π) Y A/l (M e  0.405 Mp) Figure 31. Scrolled piezo film actuator
where
x = displacement at dc (meter)
F = generated force (Newton)
f = resonance frequency
l,t = Length, thickness of piezo film (meters)
Me = externally loaded mass (kilograms)
Mp = piezo actuator mass (kilograms)
A = cross sectional area (m2)
Y = Young's modulus (N/m2)
E = electrical field (volt/meter)

As shown in the equations, a scrolled actuator can generate more force

and can respond with a higher resonant frequency by increasing the
cross sectional area. A longer actuator generates more displacement
but reduces the response speed. Note that the actuator output, with Me
= 0, will be maximized when the length l is adjusted to satisfy the
resonant condition. As an example, the performance of a 12 mm
diameter, 25 mm long scrolled actuator can be maximized at 32 KHz
operation.

Folded Actuator
Another design option for a high speed, high force actuator is to fold over a long sheet of piezo film as
shown in Figure 32. This design effectively creates a parallel wired stack of piezo film discs. The center hole
is used to secure the actuator to a base. Design equations of the scrolled actuator also can be applied to this
type of actuator. In the previous equations, d31 should be replaced with d33 (-33x10-12 C/m2) for a folded
actuator. An example of specifications for the folded actuator is shown below:
Displacement: 1 µm/1 mm length
Generated force: 15 kg/10 mm dia.
Frequency: dc - 100 kHz
Drive voltage: 800 volts

Page 33
Compared to mechanical or piezo ceramic actuators, multilayer
piezo film actuators have fewer ringing problems due to their Figure 32. Folded piezo film actuator
lower Q. Applications of multilayer actuators are
micropositioners for industrial equipment, acoustic wave
generators and ink jet printers.
Ultrasonic Actuators
Ultrasonic actuators, as discussed in this section, exclude very
high frequency (> 1 MHz) transmitter applications. The use of
piezo film in these very high frequency applications, like medical
ultrasound imaging and nondestructive testing, use thickness
mode operation, d33.This section deals with low frequency
ultrasound (20-100 KHz) where the piezo film can be used in
the length change (d31) mode.
The advantage of piezo film in low frequency ultrasound can be
found from the flexibility of the material. Piezo film can be Figure 33. Piezo film ultrasound transducers
easily curved or formed to make circular transducers as shown
in Figure 33. The beam pattern is determined by the number of
half circular elements and their diameter. The operating
frequency is determined by the diameter of the half circular
elements. Note that the difference between Figures 33(a) and
33(b) is their number of active elements and diameters. To
widen the beam coverage, the number of active elements should
be reduced. With a cylindrical transducer, a 360o beam pattern is
obtained.
In ultrasound applications, a narrow beam with minimum side
lobes is required for remote distance measurements. On the
other hand, a wide beam, as wide as 180o or more, is required
for applications like automobile rear bumper proximity sensing.
Figure 33 shows design configurations for both narrow beam
and wide beam ultrasound transducers. The applications for
piezo film in through-air ultrasonic actuators include distance
ranging for air pen, air mouse, white board digitizer, collision
avoidance, physical security systems, air flow velocity (doppler)
sensors, and inter-object communications. Similar constructions
can be produced for underwater or fluid sensing, including flow
sensors, level sensors, and communications.

PYROELECTRIC BASICS
Piezoelectric polymers, such as PVDF and its copolymers of VF2/VF3, are also pyroelectric. Pyroelectric
sensor materials are normally dielectric materials with a temperature-dependent dipole moment. As these
materials absorb thermal energy, they expand or contract, thereby inducing secondary piezoelectric signals.
As piezo film is heated, the dipoles within the film exhibit random motion by thermal agitation. This causes
a reduction in the average polarization of the film, generating a charge build up on the film surfaces. The
output current is proportional to the rate of temperature change (∆T). The amount of electrical charge
produced per degree of temperature increase (or decrease) is described by the pyroelectric charge
coefficient, ρ.

Page 34
The charge and voltage produced in a given film of area A permittivity ε, and thickness t is given
by :
Q  p∆ TA
V  pt∆ T/ε

EXAMPLE 5:
A piezo film pyroelectric detector having a film thickness (t) of 9µm, a permittivity (ε) of 106x10-
12
C/Vm and a pyroelectric coefficient (p) of 30x10-6 C/(m2oK), undergoes a temperature increase
(∆T) of 1oK due to incident IR radiation. The output voltage is given by:
(30 x 106 C/m 2 bK)(9 x 106m)(1bK)
V
(106 x 1012 C/Vm)
V  2.55 volts

The pyroelectric voltage coefficient of piezo film is about an order of magnitude larger than those of Lead
Zirconate Titanate (PZT) and Barium Titanate (BaTiO3). Table 5 compares the pyroelectric properties of
these materials, but a far lower figure of merit due to the low capacitance of PVDF.

Table 5. Comparison of pyroelectric materials

Material TGS LiTaO3 BaTiO3 PZT PbTiO3 PVDF VF2VF3

ρQ 350 200 400 420 230 30 50
ε / εO 30 45 1000 1600 200 10.7 8.0
α .16 1.31 1.00 .44 .67 .06 .06
L 225 646 564 374 461 138 138
Pv 1.32 .50 .05 .03 .10 .47 .71
Ml .53 .16 .02 .01 .03 .20 .31
Pyroelectric Charge Coefficient (ρQ)µCoul/[m2•bK]
Dielectric Constant (ε/εo),where εo8.85pF/m

Thermal Diffusivity (α)m2/sec •10-6

Thermal Diffusion Depth @ 1Hz (L)µm
Pyroelectric Voltage Coefficient (PV)ρQ/ε, V/[µm•bK]
Figure of Merit (Ml)ρQ/[CV •ε], V •mm2/J

Page 35
Piezo film advantages including:
— moisture insensitivity (<.02% H2O absorption)
— low thermal conductivity
— low dielectric constant
— chemical inertness
— large detector sizes
The pyroelectric response of piezo film can also become a noise source for piezo sensor applications
at low frequencies. In piezoelectric applications where low frequency strain sensing is desired, there
are several convenient methods to “common-mode reject” the pyroelectric response. Examples
include:
! Two equal sized electrode patterns on one piezo film element; one electrode oriented parallel
to the d31 and the other electrode pattern is perpendicular to the d31 direction. Both develop
equal signals in response to pyro, but the electrode area parallel to the d31 develops about 10X
the perpendicular electrode pattern. Subtracting the signals yields a pure piezo response.
! Two equal sized piezo film elements, laminated in a stacking configuration; one film has d31
parallel to strain surface, the other has d31 perpendicular to strain surface. As above, signals are
subtracted to isolate the piezo response from pyro.
! Several other common mode rejection techniques can be described by MSI’s applications
engineers.
For higher frequencies, where the rate of temperature change seen by the piezo film element is
slower than the strain event to be measured, frequency filters readily sort out the unwanted pyro
signal.

BASIC CIRCUIT CONCEPTS

A properly designed interface circuit plays a key role in the optimization of piezo film sensors. The
applications of piezo film span from toys to military sensors and interfacing to electronics is highly
application dependent. In many cases, piezo film can be directly connected to electronic circuits
without special interface considerations. However, for those cases where an interface circuit is
required, the following 3 steps are recommended:
1. Consider the frequency range and signal amplitude requirements over the desired dynamic
range.
2. Choose a proper load resistance to assure the low end operating frequency and to minimize
signal loss due to the loading effect.
3. Select a buffer circuit if the signal level is small. If a Figure 34. Equivalent circuit of piezo film
high value load resistance is needed (such as 22MΩ or
higher value), a low leakage high impedance buffer
amplifier is recommended. JFET's or CMOS
operational amplifiers are commercially available for a
buffer.

Simplified Equivalent Circuits

The first step in an interface circuit design is to understand
the piezo film characteristics as part of an electrical
equivalent circuit. Figure 34 shows a simplified equivalent
circuit of piezo film. It consists of a series capacitance with
a voltage source. The series capacitance Cf represents piezo
film capacitance which is proportional to the film

Page 36
permittivity and area and inversely proportional to film thickness. The voltage source amplitude is
equal to the open circuit voltage of piezo film and varies from microvolts to 100's of volts,
depending on the excitation magnitude. This simplified equivalent circuit is suitable for most
applications but is of limited value at very high frequencies such as that used in ultrasound
transducers.
Figure 35 shows an equivalent circuit as a charge generator.
This equivalent circuit has film capacitance Cf, and internal
film resistance Rf. The induced charge Q is linearly Figure 35. Equivalent circuit for piezo film
proportional to the applied force as described earlier. The
capacitance Cf is proportional to the surface area of film and
is inversely proportional to the film thickness. In low
frequency applications, the internal film resistance Rf is very
high and can be ignored. The open circuit output voltage can
be found from the film capacitance; i.e., V=Q/Cf.

Input Resistance
The most critical part of an interface circuit is the input
resistance. The input resistance affects low frequency
measurement capability as well as signal amplitude. This is Figure 36. Equivalent circuit of piezo film
called the "loading effect". with input resistance of electronic
interface
Piezo film capacitance can be regarded as an equivalent
source impedance. It is important to note that this source
impedance increases with decreasing film capacitance and
decreasing frequency of operation. This source impedance
combined with the input resistance produces a voltage
divider. As the ratio of input resistance to source impedance
is decreased, the overall output voltage is reduced. Therefore,
choosing a proper input resistance for the electronic interface
is critical in minimizing the loading effect.

Time Constant
In addition to input resistance, the input capacitance of an interface circuit can also affect the
output. Figure 36 shows the equivalent circuit of film with input resistance Ri and input capacitance
Ci. A typical time domain response of piezo film is shown in
Figure 37 . The charge developed on the film due to an Figure 37. Time response of piezo film
applied force decays with a time constant which is defined by
Ri(Cf + Ci).
This time constant represents the time required for a signal to
decay to 70.7% (-3dB) of its original amplitude. The smaller
the time constant, the quicker the signal decays. Because of
this finite time constant, piezo film is suitable for dynamic
measurements rather than static measurement (0.001 Hz
minimum).
If a long time constant is desired, a high input resistance and
film capacitance can be used. It should be understood,
however, that a high input resistance can also produce higher
noise, requiring compensation through shielding, etc.

Page 37
Frequency Response Figure 38. High pass filter characteristic
of piezo film
Another important aspect of the time constant can be seen in
the frequency response of the equivalent circuit. The circuit
exhibits an RC high-pass filter characteristic as shown in Figure
38. In this figure, the vertical axis implies the ratio of observable
output signal to the developed signal (open circuit voltage of the
piezo film). Zero dB implies no loss
of signal. The cutoff frequency (3 dB down) is inversely
proportional to the time constant. When a piezo film sensor is
operated below this cut-off frequency, the output signal is
significantly reduced. For a low frequency measurement, an
input resistance needs to be high enough so that the cut-off
frequency is well below the desired operating frequency. This
consequence can be verified from consideration of the time
constant as well as the loading effect.
Figure 39. Frequency response of SDT1
As an example, the frequency response of a shielded piezo film
sensor (model SDT1) is shown in Figure 39. In this example,
the SDT is interfaced with a circuit which contains a 10MΩ
load resistor and an FET. The capacitance of the piezo film is
2.4 nF. With 10MΩ load resistance, the time constant becomes
24 msec and thus, the cut-off frequency is 6.6 Hz. For
comparison, the cut-off frequency can be reduced to 0.66 Hz if
a 100MΩ resistor is used instead of the 10MΩ resistor. This
sensor component can be used for any application operating
above the cut-off frequency determined by the resistance value.
In applications where the electronic circuit cannot be placed
near the sensor, a buffer circuit is recommended close to the
sensor. The buffer circuit converts the high output impedance
of the piezo film element into a low output impedance and
thus minimizes the signal loss and noise through the cable. For
large size (i.e., high capacitance) piezo film sensors a buffer
may not be required, even with small signals and long cables.
When a high piezo film output impedance is required, a low-
leakage, high impedance buffer is necessary. For example,
infrared motion sensor and accelerometer applications require
up to 50GΩ of input resistance to obtain a very low frequency
response. For such cases, the input impedance of the buffer must be Figure 40. Unity gain buffer for
much higher than the output resistance of the piezo film in order to piezo film sensors
maintain the low frequency response. In addition, minimum leakage
current of the buffer is critical in order to maximize the
measurement accuracy. Some examples of low leakage buffer
electronics include: JFET - 4117 (Siliconix, Sprague); Operational
amplifiers — LMC660, LF353 (National Semiconductor), OP80
(PMI), and 2201 (Texas Instruments).
Figure 40 shows unity gain buffer circuit examples for general
applications. Operational amplifiers offer a great deal of versatility
as both buffers and amplifiers. They can be used as either charge-
mode or voltage-mode amplifiers. Figure 41 shows basic charge and
voltage amplifier configurations. The voltage output of the charge

Page 38
amplifier is determined by Q/Cf. Q is the charge developed
on the piezo film and Cf is the feedback capacitance of the Figure 41. Typical amplifiers for piezo film
charge amplifier. sensors

The output voltage of the charge amplifier depends on the

feedback capacitance, not the input capacitance. This
indicates that the output voltage of a charge amplifier is
independent of the cable capacitance. The major advantage
of a charge amplifier can be realized when a long cable is
used between a piezo film sensor and electronics. In
addition, it also minimizes charge leakage through the stray
capacitance around the sensor. Otherwise, simple voltage
amplifiers are sufficient for most applications. Included in
Figure 41 is a typical non-inverting voltage amplifier.
The advantage of a voltage amplifier can be seen when
ambient temperature is considered. The voltage sensitivity (g-
constant) variation over temperature is smaller than the
charge sensitivity (d-constant) variation. Consequently,
voltage amplifiers with piezo film exhibit less temperature
dependence. In Figure 41, the time constants for the charge
amplifier and voltage amplifier are determined by RCf and
RC respectively.
As a design example, a traffic sensor interface is described.
Because of its flexibility, piezo cable is an ideal sensor
material for traffic measurement applications. MSI’s BL
traffic sensor is constructed with a piezo cable sheathed in a
compressed brass tube, with a variety of signal cable lengths
tailored to the installation requirements. The BL is available
in sensing lengths of more than 3 meters. In this specific Figure 42. An interface circuit of a traffic
example, the BL sensor is 2 meters long. This electrically sensor
shielded sensor has 100 feet of coax cable. The electrical
specifications of this sensor include:
Capacitance = 9.5 nF (including piezo cable and signal
cable capacitances)
Output = 500mV (for a wheel load of 800 pounds
at 55mph and 70°F)
Signal : Noise = 10:1
The basic requirements of an interface circuit are:
Low end frequency = 1.6 Hz
Circuit output = Digital pulse count
An interface circuit to meet these requirements is shown in
Figure 42. This circuit works as a comparator. A 10MΩ input
resistance is chosen in order to reduce the cut-off frequency
to about 1 Hz. The actual cut-off frequency with this resistor
can be calculated as 1.6 Hz. A 10MΩ potentiometer is used
to adjust the threshold voltage, V and the diode is included to
protect the electronics from high voltage damage. Typical
piezo film and interface circuit output signals from a
passenger car at 55 mph are shown in Figure 42.

Page 39
Signal Conditioning Figure 43. High frequency, low gain
FET circuit interface
Because piezo film is both piezoelectric and pyroelectric, some
provision must be made to eliminate—or at least reduce—the
effect of unwanted signals. The primary principles of signal
conditioning include:
• Filtering—Electrical filters designed to give the desired band-
pass and band-rejection characteristics.
• Averaging—If the desired signal exhibits periodicity, while the
undesired signal is random, signal averaging can increase the
signal-to-noise ratio.
• Common Mode Rejection—By wiring two equal areas of a
piezo film electrode out-of-phase, unwanted common-mode
signals can be made to cancel.

Basic Switch Circuitry Figure 44. Low frequency, high gain

FET circuit interface
A variety of circuits are available to electronically interface with
piezo film including field effect transistors (FETs), operational
amplifiers (Op Amps), and low-current digital logic (CMOS).
FETs lend themselves to applications of small size since they are
readily available in surface mount technology. Important
characteristics to consider when using FETs are switching
frequency, piezo film capacitance, leakage current of the FET in
the off-state, input bias resistance, and shielding from
electromagnetic interference (EMI).
Figures 43 and 44 show typical FET circuit configurations for a
piezo film switch. Figure 43, the common drain or source follower, applies well in applications where
simple buffering is important. Here, the circuit voltage gain is approximately one.
The common source circuit in Figure 44 is suitable for low frequency applications where voltage gain is
required. The gain is determined by resistances RD and RS. As the
gain increases, frequency bandwidth decreases by a factor of one Figure 45. Op Amp Interface circuit
decade per 20 dB of gain. acting as a charge amplifier
Operational amplifiers offer a great deal of versatility for piezo
film switch applications. Adaptation to a particular application is
often as simple as making a few wiring changes. Important op
amp circuit characteristics include input bias resistance, film
switch capacitance, and EMI shielding.
The op amp circuit of Figure 45, a charge amplifier, suits
applications where a detected vibration actuates the switch. It also
works well in small signal applications. A charge amplifier
eliminates the effects of the time constants of both the piezo film
and connecting cable. The charge amplifier is a current operated
circuit with zero input impedance, which results in no voltage
being generated across the film. The charge amplifier quickly absorbs charges developed by the film.
With no charge left on its electrodes, the film exhibits no time constant.
The capacitance of the film and connecting cable have no adverse effect on the circuit's transfer
function. Thus tolerances on film size and cable length need not be exceptionally tight. The charge is

Page 40
transferred from the film to the capacitor in the amplifier's feedback loop, which determines the output
voltage: V = Q/Cf.
The charge amplifier requires an op amp having a high input Figure 46. Layout for guarding inputs
resistance and low bias current. A high input resistance avoids bleed-
off of the charge on the feedback capacitor, and low bias current
prevents the feedback capacitor from charging and discharging at
excessive rates. The layout of the charge amplifier circuit is critical.
The op-amp casing must be well grounded and the inputs should be
guarded and connected to the same ground as the casing.
A layout with guarded inputs is shown in Figure 46. Also, to prevent
leakage noise from being amplified by the op-amp, the input cable
should be terminated using a well-insulated stand-off connector.
Even with the above precautions, it is likely that the output voltage
will drift. To compensate for drift, a reset switch is generally designed into the circuit to manually reset
the output to zero at intervals. One technique is to place a reed switch in series with a resistor, which is
in parallel with the feedback capacitor Cf. Activating the reed switch closes the switch, discharging the
voltage stored in the feedback capacitor.
Figure 47. Signal level detector
Another method is to use a MOSFET device in which the
maximum output voltage and off-gate voltage determine the
minimum gate voltage of the FET. In practice, a supply
voltage greater than the amplifier voltage is applied to the gate
of the MOSFET, thereby lowering its drain/source resistance
and creating a current path for discharge of the feedback
capacitor.
The third alternative is to place a bleed resistor across the
feedback. This resistor creates a time constant (CfRf), which is
independent of the film capacitance and can be accurately
controlled.
The signal level detector of Figure 47 fits applications where
large signal-to-noise ratios are desirable. This circuit is perfect
for detecting an impact among low-level vibrations. For situations where signal to noise ratios are low
and where impacts or pressures must be discerned from
background vibration, the differential amplifier circuit of
Figure 48 is appropriate. This circuit consists of two sensors Figure 48. Differential Op Amp interface
driving a differential amplifier. circuit

This configuration uses a common-mode rejection concept.

The two switches are mechanically coupled to cancel
unwanted vibrations that stimulate both. An input or
pressure on one switch but not the other, will produce an
output.
CMOS logic offers a low-cost way to interface with piezo
film. As mentioned earlier, low-power circuits implemented
with CMOS technology are ideally suited to piezo film
switches. CMOS applications for piezo film are generally for
low frequency operation. Other characteristics to consider
include device input leakage current and input impedance,

Page 41
input bias resistance, and the effect of EMI. A CMOS circuit can be used, for example, in applications
to sense a single impact or a single pressure.
The D-Flip Flop in Figure 49 indicates the presence of Figure 49. CMOS circuit for detecting a single impact
either the impact or pressure to set off an audible
alarm.
The circuit in Figure 50, senses multiple impacts or
pressures for counting applications.
Many different CMOS circuit configurations are
possible to interface with piezo film. Common to all of
them is an input bias resistor in parallel with the piezo
film, and an input resistor in series with the film. The
bias resistor handles leakage current and the series
resistor limits current to protect against electrostatic
discharge.

Cables
In applications where it is not possible to place the amplification circuit in close proximity to the piezo
film transducer, considerable care must be exercised in
selecting the connecting cable that carries the high- Figure 50. CMOS interface circuit for counting
impedance signal. applications

Shielded coaxial cable, while used for noise reduction,

can add problems associated with cable leakage and
added capacitance. In most cases the cable's primary
insulation should consist of highly resistant, non-polar
plastics such as high-purity polyethylene or Teflon®
(PTFE). It is equally important to make the cable as
vibration-free as possible since cable movements
generate noise that interferes with signal transmission.

Page 42
MANUFACTURING
Rolls of piezo film are produced in a clean room environment The process begins with the melt
extrusion of PVDF resin pellets into sheet form, followed by a stretching step that reduces the sheet to
about one-fifth its extruded thickness. Stretching at temperatures well below the melting point of the
polymer causes chain packing of the molecules into parallel crystal planes, called “beta phase”. To
obtain high levels of piezoelectric activity, the beta phase polymer is then exposed to very high electric
fields to align the crystallites relative to the poling field. Copolymers of PVDF are polarizable without
stretching.
Evaporatively deposited metals are typically 500 to 1000 Å in thickness, and almost any metal can be
deposited. Popular metals are nickel, aluminum, copper, gold and alloys . Electrode patterns are made
by sputtering through masks or by chemical etching continuous metallizations using photoresists.
Resolution to 25µm line widths has been achieved. Screen printed electrodes of conductive silver ink
are much thicker, about 5-10 µm, and can be applied in complex patterns to form multiple sensors on a
single sheet. Foils are adhered with thin adhesive layers and capacitively coupled to the piezo film.
Each electrode alternative has advantages and disadvantages.
Generally, sputtered metals are for very high resolution arrays, pyroelectric applications requiring a low
thermal mass, or for inertness, as with invasive medical applications. Fully metallized sheets can by
carefully cut with a razor blade without shorting across the film thickness. Screened inks are very
robust and compliant, withstand very high strains (>10%), can operate at high voltages without
breakdown, and are easy to pattern on a continuous basis. However, unmetallized borders are required
for cutting elements out of a sheet of screen printed electrodes, since there is a high likelihood of
shorting across the films thickness with the thick inks. Foils may mechanically restrict the piezo film
from responding to externally applied stresses and strains in the plane of the film, but foils are useful in
pure "thickness mode" operation.
After metallization, a wide variety of possible processing steps are followed to produce a packaged
sensor. Generally, the piezo film is laminated in a protective carrier film, die cut to size, and packaged
with lead wires or crimp connectors and, often, signal conditioning electronics. The wide range of
packaged sensors, from a few square millimeters (including an ASIC chip) as a shipping damage sensor,
to multiple square meter sensors for sports scoring targets suggests the versatility of this technology.

APPLICATIONS
The sensor applications described below represent a good cross-section of the products now using
piezo film sensors.

Switches
The reliability of contact switches is reduced due to contaminates like moisture and dust which foul the
contact points. Piezo film offers exceptional reliability as it is a monolithic structure, not susceptible to
this and other conventional switch failure modes. One of the most challenging of all switch
applications is found in pinball machines.
A pinball machine manufacturer uses a piezo film switch manufactured by MSI as a replacement for
the momentary rollover type switch. The switch is constructed from a laminated piezo film on a spring
steel beam, mounted as a cantilever to the end of a circuit board.

Page 43
The "digital" piezo film switch features a simple MOSFET circuit that consumes no power during the
normally-open state. In response to a direct contact force, the piezo film beam momentarily triggers the
MOSFET. This provides a momentary "closure" for up to a 50 V maximum voltage. The output of this
low profile contactless switch is well suited to logic-level switching. The unit does not exhibit the
corrosion, pitting or bounce that are normally associated with contact switches.
The company has tested these switches in excess of 10 million cycles without failure. The switch solves
the nagging problem of fouled contacts in pinball machines, a significant source for machine downtime
and lost revenue. The simplicity of the design makes it effective in applications which include:
Figure 51. Switch for pinball machine
! Counter switches for assembly lines and shaft rotation
! Switches for automated processes
! Impact detection for machine dispensed products
! Panel switches
! Foot pedal switches
! Door closure switches
The cantilever beam that carries the piezo film can be modified to adjust
switch sensitivity for high to low impact forces. Figure 51 shows the
construction of the digital switch.

Beam Switch
Piezo film switches can be used to measure the amplitude, frequency Figure 52. Beam switch
and direction of an event and are useful in object detection and
recognition, counting, wakeup switches and bidirectional encoding
applications. The construction of the beam-type switch is shown in
Figure 52.
Note that the piezo film element is laminated to a thicker substrate on
one side, and has a much thinner laminate on the other. This moves the
neutral axis of the structure out of the piezo film element, resulting in a
fully tensile strain in the piezo film when deflected downward, and a
fully compressive strain when deflected in the opposite direction. Were
the neutral axis in the center of the piezo film element, as would be the
case if the two laminae were of equal thickness, the top half of the piezo film would be oppositely
strained from the bottom half under any deflection condition, and the resulting signals would therefore
be canceled.
Beam switches are used in shaft rotation counters in natural gas meters and as gear tooth counters in
electric utility metering. The beam switch does not require an external power source, so the gas meter is
safe from spark hazard. Other examples of applications for the beam switch include a baseball target
that detects ball impact, a basketball game where a hoop mounted piezo film sensor counts good
baskets, switches inside of an interactive soft doll to detect a kiss to the cheek or a tickle (and the
sensor is sewn into the fabric of the doll), coin sensors for vending and slot machines and as digital
potentiometer for high reliability.

Snap-Action Switches
Piezoelectric materials do not have a true dc response. Very slow events, 0.0001 Hz, for example, are
not normally possible to detect with piezoelectric film.

Page 44
In switch applications where dc response is required, piezo film Figure 53. Snap-action switch
in combination with a snap dome
provides a high voltage pulse.
When the snap device actuates, the film is rapidly strained,
typically generating a 10 volt pulse into a one megohm circuit
as shown in Figure 53. This concept is especially well suited for
wakeup switches, where an electronic device can be dormant
for long periods without power consumption until the snap
action device is actuated. The piezoelectric pulse turns on the
electronics. Battery operated parking meters, where battery life
is very critical, are an example of a piezo snap action switch
application. A thermal snap action device also employs this
principle.

Impact Sensors
Impact Printers
High speed impact printers require very accurate print head timing. Impact must occur the instant that
a high speed revolving steel band, embossed with print characters, is properly positioned in front of the
print hammer. Any advance or delay in energizing the print hammer will result in an offset print of the
desired character.
Piezo film sensor strips, built into the printer platen, monitor the impact timing and force of the bank
of print heads, and transmit the information to the controller. Automatic adjustment is made in the
actuator timing to accommodate any minor change in print head timing. The very high speed of the
embossed steel ribbon, about 300 inches per second, requires a very fast switch response. Alternative
impact switches are quickly destroyed by the large impact forces of the print head. Piezo film switches
have been in use in this application for more than five years without failure.
Sports Scoring
Piezo film sensors can be used to measure impact time, location (accuracy) and force. These parameters
are desirable in several sports scoring applications. The energy of a 90 mph pitch has instantaneous
power of about 50,000 watts! The great challenge in this application is target ruggedness without the
introduction of severe bounceback into the design.
A second sports scoring application is electronic dartboards, where piezo film monitors the many
impact zones in the game. Scoring is electronically recorded.
Musical Instruments
The popularity of electronics for musical instruments presents a special problem in drums and pianos.
The very high dynamic range and frequency response requirements for drum triggers and piano
keyboards are met by piezo film impact elements. Laminates of piezo film are incorporated in foot
pedal switches for bass drums, and triggers for snares and tom-toms. Piezo film impact switches are
force sensitive, faithfully duplicating the effort of the drummer or pianist. In electronic pianos, the
piezo film switches respond with a dynamic range and time constant that is remarkably similar to a
piano key stroke.

Page 45
Traffic Sensors
Figure 54. Permanent In-The-Road Traffic Sensor
The U.S. Government is actively
studying "smart highways" as an
alternative to major new highway
construction. The idea is that
existing highways can
accommodate greater vehicle
densities if electronically managed.
In addition to conventional traffic
monitoring for highway studies
and enforcement, the Intelligent
Vehicle/Highway System (IVHS)
programs create the need for new
classes of "smart highway" high
speed sensors to count and classify
vehicles, provide lane control, and to monitor weight and speed. IVHS also requires "smart car"
sensors, and advanced vehicle surveillance, communications, and software.
Futuristic programs like the IVHS, and more contemporary projects like the Strategic Highway
Research Program (SHRP), require traffic data collection to provide the necessary information required
by the Federal Highway Administration on highway structures. Recent advancements in signal
processing open the door to greatly improved real-time vehicle data analysis, provided that inexpensive
reliable sensor technologies are developed.
Pneumatic road tubing has long been the workhorse of traffic data collection. Road tubes provide a
pneumatic pulse to a piezoelectric membrane, which triggers nearby electronics when an axle is
detected.
The evaluation of alternative Figure 55. Permanent, In-The-Road Traffic Sensor
sensor technologies has shown
piezo cable provides the
necessary sensitivity, linearity,
noise immunity and
environmental stability for high
traffic interstate vehicle
classification and weight-in-
motion systems. Piezo cable BL
sensors are used for traffic data
collection from Saskatchewan to
Florida.
Piezo cable traffic sensor
constructions are shown in
Figures 54 and 55. There are
two basic categories of traffic
sensor ... permanent and
temporary. Generally,
permanent sensors are mounted in the road with the top of the sensor flush to the highway surface,
while temporary units are adhesively applied to the road surface for shorter monitoring periods.
Permanent sensors, used for toll booths and interstate highway data collection, are flush mounted to a
road surface and must withstand the rigors of years of high density traffic, snow plows, salt, sand, water
and dragging mufflers.

Page 46
"New Jersey barriers", the modern
concrete barriers that separate opposing Figure 56. Multidirectional Sensor
lanes on highways, introduce problems
for multilane sensing of four lane
highways. Piezo cable can solve this
problem with a single sensor that has
opposite polarities corresponding to
each lane. Vehicles crossing the near
lane produce a signal of opposite sign
from vehicles in the far lane (Figure 56).
This ability to provide lane activity in a
single sensor is a significant
development.
Traffic sensors can monitor vehicle
speed, count axles, weigh vehicles,
provide direction, and vehicle
classification. Recently, these sensors have also proven valuable on airport taxiways. From the output,
one can discern the ground speed of an aircraft (time lag between two sensors), its direction, weight
(fueled), number of axles, and the span of the aircraft (determined from the speed and the known fixed
distance between sensors). This information can be used to classify the aircraft and provides taxiway
traffic control and safety information at airports.

VIBRATION SENSING
One of the first applications for piezo film was as an acoustic pickup for a violin. Later, piezo film was
introduced for a line of acoustic guitars as a saddle-mounted bridge pickup, mounted in the bridge. The
very high fidelity of the pickup led the way to a family of vibration sensing and accelerometer
applications.

Music Pickups
Piezo film is used today in several guitar pickup designs; one is a thick film, compressive (under the
saddle) design; another is a low cost accelerometer, while another is an after market pickup design that
is taped to the instrument. Because of the low Q of the material, these transducers do not have the self-
resonance of hard ceramic
Figure 57. Shielding piezo film
pickups. Shielding can be
achieved by a foldover design
as shown in Figure 57. The
hot side is the slightly
narrower electrode on the
inside of the fold. The
foldover technique provides a
more sensitive pickup than
alternative shielding methods
because the shield is formed
by piezoelectric material.
Conventional shielding
laminates can be easily
fabricated by a multilayer
laminate of piezo film,
adhesive and shielding foil.

Page 47
Machine Monitoring
The fidelity of a shielded piezo film sensor in musical instruments led to the development of vibration
sensors for machines. In its simplest mode, piezo film vibration sensors behave essentially like dynamic
strain gages. The film does not require an external power source, yet typically generates signals greater
than strain gages after amplification. A typical piezo film sensor produces four orders of magnitude
higher voltage signal than a foil-type strain gage, and two orders higher than semiconductor types. The
frequency response of the piezo film strain gage is also superior.
The extreme sensitivity is due to the form of the piezo film material. The low thickness of the film
results in a very small cross sectional area. Thus very small longitudinal forces create very large stresses
within the material.
Piezo film sensors can be affixed to a vibrating surface and monitor the amplitude and frequency of the
vibrating structure. The sensors can cover larger areas than normal strain gages so any direct
comparisons should be performed in uniform strain fields for meaningful results. Obviously, point-
type transducers may be used where required, although the low capacitance of the small sensor area will
require additional consideration. Operation down to fractions of Hz can be achieved by either
conventional charge amplifiers or, since signal levels are relatively high, simple high impedance FET
buffer circuits.

Bearing Wear Sensors

A shielded piezo film sensor has been used to monitor bearings for wear and evidence of spall. The
sensors are permanently affixed to the outer surface of the bearing race with epoxy. The low mass and
thin profile allow its use as a built-in nondestructive testing sensor, rather than the time consuming use
of accelerometers for periodic fault-condition checks.

Fan Flow Sensor

A laminated beam type sensor is used in ducted airflow as a centrifugal fan failure sensor. The presence
of air flow is detected by the vibrations in the sensor caused by the turbulence of air flow at about 100
Hz. The absence of this signal is used for trigger electronics. The sensor and switching electronics are
based around a TL084 quad bi- FET op amp, with typical input signals of 80 mV. Sensor reliability is
the key feature. Since the sensor is subjected to virtually no operating stresses, it has an indefinite
working life.

Thread Break Sensor

Figure 58. Threadbreak sensor
Textile plants require the continuous monitoring of often
thousands of lines of thread for breakage. An undetected
break event can require that a large volume of material be
discarded, as the labor costs to recover the material exceed
the manufacturing cost. Drop switches, where switch
contact closure occurs when the thread breaks, are very
unreliable. Lint fouls the contact points, resulting in no
output signal. A piezoelectric film vibration sensor,
mounted to a thin steel beam, monitors the acoustic signal
caused by the abrasion of the thread running across the
beam, analogous to a violin string (Figure 58 ). The absence
of the vibration instantly triggers the machinery to stop.
Thread tension and defects in man-made fibers are also
monitored with piezo film textile sensors.

Page 48
Vending Sensors
Shielded dynamic strain gages of piezo film are affixed to the underside of a vending product delivery
tray to verify that product was properly vended. The absence of the impact induced vibration triggers
an "Out of Order" warning. In a second application, slot machine coin counting is provided by a piezo
film element. The sensors confirm delivery of coins won, discouraging gamblers from falsely claiming
equipment defects. A ticket dispensing machine counts tickets delivered with a piezo beam design.
Coin sensors also trigger or wake-up vending machines and coin changer electronics to verify coin
authenticity.

ACCELEROMETERS
A logical outgrowth of the many vibration sensor Figure 59. ACH-01-XX internal view
applications of MSI’s piezoelectric technology are
accelerometers. These accelerometer designs are
based on more traditional piezoelectric ceramic, as
well as piezoelectric polymer materials. The choice
of base materials allows the product to be tailored
for specific applications. Table 6 lists the key
specifications for the MSI Accelerometer product
family.
Like more conventional sensors, these accelerometers are configured as either compression-design type
or beam-design type. Compression-design accelerometers typically have higher resonant frequencies
providing wide useful frequency ranges. An internal view of MSI’s ACH-01-XX compression-design
accelerometer is shown in Figure 59.
Beam-design accelerometers tend to have lower resonant Figure 60. ACH-04-08-05 internal view
frequencies and useful frequency ranges. Beam-design
accelerometers also have another very interesting feature:
They can be oriented to sense acceleration in multiple-axes
with one monolithic sensing element using MSI’s patented
“Origami” beam technology (“Origami” is the Japanese
word for the art of paper folding). An internal view of the
ACH-04-08-05 three axis beam-design accelerometer, with
its origami sensing element, is shown in Figure 60.
To reduce system costs as well as simplify use, all of MSI’s
accelerometers include buffers. JFET biasing and signal
processing is implemented external to the device.
The ACH-01 family of products is typically used in
applications which require broad frequency capability, high sensitivity, low noise, and low cost. Such
applications include: speaker feedback and control systems, automotive anti-theft systems, acoustic
pick-ups, machine-health and pump and centrifuge monitoring systems, and medical body motion
monitoring.
The ACH-04-08 product family is used in a very broad range of applications such as speaker feedback
and control systems, appliance fault monitoring, virtual reality systems, automotive systems, medical
body motion monitoring, shipment damage and material-handling monitoring systems, vibration
switches and earthquake shut-off switches. OEM applications that require acceleration or vibration
measurements in more than one axis are perfect for the ACH-04-08-05.
MSI is constantly developing and upgrading its accelerometer product line. Please contact MSI for
further details on these products or on customizing one of our other products.

Page 49
Table 6. Accelerometer Family

Production Qualified Accelerometers

ACH-01-XX ACH-04-08-05 ACH-04-08-09
Key Features -Wide Frequency Range -Low Frequency Operation -Low Frequency Operation
-Wide Dynamic Range -3 Simultaneous Analog -Low Current Operation
-High Sensitivity Outputs - JFET Buffer
-Low Noise -Low current generation
-JFET Buffer - JFET Buffer

X-Axis --- X --
Sensitive Y-Axis --- X X
Axes
Z-Axis X X --
Sensitivity (Nominal) 10 mV/g 1.8 mV/g 6mV/g
Frequency Range (±3 dB) 1.0 Hz-20 kHz 0.5 Hz to 4 kHz 0.2 to 1500 Hz
Dynamic Range ±250 g ±250 g ±40 g
Resolution (@ 100 Hz) 40µ g/ Hz 200 µ g/ Hz 40 µ g/ Hz
Resonant Frequency >35 kHz 9.2 kHz 3.4 kHz
Resonant Q (Hz/Hz) 30 10 10
Transverse Sensitivity 5% 15% <20%
Linearity 0.1% 0.1% 0.1%
o o o o
Operating Temperature -40 C to +85 C -40 C to +85 C -40 C to +85 oC
o

Storage Temperature -40 oC to +85 oC -40 oC to +85 oC -40 oC to +85 oC

Maximum Shock 1000 g 1000 g 1000 g
Supply Voltage 3 V to 40 V 3 V to 40 V 3 V to 28 V
Supply Current 2 µ A Typical 6 µ A Typical 2 µ A Typical
Weight 3 grams 0.35 grams 0.35 grams
Size (mm) 13 x 19 x 6 11 x 10 x 1.8 11 x 10 x 1.8
Mounting Method Adhesive Hand Solder to PCB Hand Solder to PCB

Page 50
Table 7. Accelerometer Applications

ACCELEROMETER PRODUCTS
Industry Application ACH-01-XX ACH-04-08-05 ACH-04-08-09
Anti-Tamper Sensors X X X
Aerospace & Defense Surveillance X
Electronics
Modal Analysis X X
Automotive Antitheft X X X
Skid/Rain Sensing X
Computer Mouse Sensor X
Computers & Peripherals
Virtual Reality Sensor X
Out-of-Balance Sensor X X X
Household Appliances Spray Arm Jam Sensor X X
µ wave Acoustic Sensor X
Speaker Feedback X
Consumer Electronics Acoustic Pick-ups X
Security X X
Industrial Machine Health Monitor X X
Bearing Monitor X X
Instruments & Active Vibration Damping X X X
Measuring Equipment Predictive Maintenance X X X
Motion Sensor X X
Medical
Pacemaker Consult Factory for further Information
Earthquake Shut-Off X X
Power & Utilities
Machine Monitoring X X
Transport & Material Shipment Monitoring X X
Handling Railroad Systems X X X

Page 51
ULTRASOUND APPLICATIONS
The wide frequency response and physical attributes of its polymeric construction makes piezo film a
material of choice in certain medical probes and in nondestructive testing applications. Additionally, the
film sensors are found in applications in ultrasonic based sensing devices, like air-ranging ultrasound for
distance measurement, in fluid level sensors, and in-flow measurement instruments using doppler shift
of sound velocity perturbations which are proportional to fluid flow.

Medical Imaging Ultrasound

Piezoelectric ceramic materials are used in medical imaging transducers because of their high sensitivity
and broad bandwidth. The d33 constant, strain developed for an applied voltage, is about an order of
magnitude higher for piezo ceramics than for piezo polymer. A disadvantage of piezo ceramic is its high
acoustic impedance, about 30 MRayls (1 MRayl = 106 kg/m2s) in contrast to about 1.5 MRayls for body
tissue. This impedance mismatch can be compensated by quarter wavelength matching layers, but these
can degrade the ultrasonic pulse due to adhesive layers and construction methods. The acoustic
impedance of piezo film is about 4 MRayls, a much better match. Additionally, in higher frequency
applications requiring very thin piezo elements, ceramics are too fragile, and cannot be shaped to
desired geometries.

Invasive imaging requires lower powered devices than external Figure 61. Invasive imaging probe
probes. Resolution of the image is considerably improved at the
higher frequencies of invasive catheters. A medical imaging
company has developed an invasive imaging probe with piezo
film for a therapeutic laser prostate catheter (Figure 61 ). The
piezo film sensor is about 30 microns thick, and is located near
the catheter tip. The unit operates at frequencies of 7 MHz and
higher.

Steered in-vivo phased-array images using piezo polymer film have

been produced for the first time by researchers at Duke
University. A 32 element array of 11 mm x .56 mm elements was
fabricated and tested with a well matched circuit designed to
optimize the transducer. The result was 28 dB lower sensitivity
than PZT transducers at 2.5 MHz operating frequency.
However, the piezo film array had improved axial resolution,
better angular response (6 dB pulse-echo response at 30 degrees), and a low interelement cross-coupling
of -35 dB. It is exceptionally difficult to diamond blade saw PZT ceramic into these small elements;
while, for piezo film, complex patterns are readily etched into the surface gold electrode. PZT must be
diced due to the severe interelement coupling problem. Duke University researchers plan to improve
the polymer probe by expanding the number of array elements to 128.

Very high resolution arrays have been traditionally formed by etching an electrode pattern on the
surface of a piezo film. Newer techniques include deposition of the copolymer directly onto silicon
wafers. The wafers are etched to minimize interelement coupling, then the copolymer is applied by spin-
coating, followed by poling. Then a top ground electrode is applied and inter-connections made. This
advance results in a very high resolution imaging. Capacitively coupling copolymer film to a dense array
of conductive traces on a PCB has achieved remarkable performance as a Tx/Rx array.

Page 52
NonDestructive Testing (NDT)
Advanced composite materials are very desirable as structural members. Light weight, high strength,
corrosion resistance, and non-magnetic are among the advantages for these materials. The need for very
routine nondestructive testing of such structures to prevent catastrophic failure due to delamination, is
one of technology's greatest concerns. Flexible sheets of piezoelectric polymer transducer arrays,
acoustically well matched to the composites, are desirable for use for non-destructive testing. One
example is as an NDT array for testing rocket motor housings prior to launch. These arrays can be
applied to the surfaces of composite fuel housings, and each element sequentially activated to provide a
pulse-echo response. An array element size of about 0.5 to 1 square inch is sufficient for this
application, as well as most large area NDT. Center frequencies of 3-10 MHz and -6 dB fractional
bandwidths exceeding 100% are typical with such transducer arrays.

Systems and Instrumentation, Ltd. personnel use piezo film for NDT of aerospace engine parts. NDT
transducers capable of detecting flaws down to 1/64th inch are now required. Further, the frequency
response range of these new materials are broader than the bandwidth of conventional transducers.
S&I, Ltd. find that a single broadband transducer covers the bandwidth of interest. Their transducers
are also used in near-surface NDT applications, where high resolution and short pulse duration are
required. Defects of 0.8 mm in size, lying within 1 mm of the surface, have been detected with the S&I
probes.

Critical points or inaccessible test areas within a composite structure, like support strut mounts, where
delamination or other damage is especially likely, can have custom fabricated NDT arrays permanently
affixed for in-service testing and monitoring. It is possible to achieve uniformity of ±1 dB between
the elements of a multi-element transducer array. Special shaped transducers, providing special focal
characteristics, have also been built with these polymer transducers.

Acoustic Emission
Acoustic emission of materials including fiber-reinforced composites, aluminum, steel and glass can be
performed with contact microphones of piezo film, or, as with NDT, by large area arrays. These arrays
can continuously monitor structures for 0.1 - 1.0 MHz acoustic emission, the precursor to structural
failure. Piezo film, being broad band, responds well at these frequencies. This capability is especially
necessary for critical application like tank rail cars carrying toxic products, underground fuel storage
tanks, nuclear plants, etc.

Fluid Level Sensor

There are a variety of fluid level sensing transducer technologies available to the designer. A float arm,
attached to a sliding potentiometric device is still widely used in automobiles. Ultrasonic pulse-echo
devices that measure the distance from a fixed transducer to the fluid surface from above through air, or
from below through the fluid, are popular. Newer capacitance types, where the fluid becomes the
dielectric, are also used. Each of these technologies represent tradeoffs in system cost, performance and
reliability. A new ultrasound level sensor, in development by MSI, holds promise as a digital, solid state
ultrasonic level sensor.

The novel construction is a level sensor with ultrasonic through-transmission with multiple transmitters
and a single, common receiver. The sensor is fabricated by attaching an unmetallized strip of piezo film
to a printed circuit board containing electrode patterns, conductors, and interconnections to circuitry on
the opposite side of the board. The electrode patterns are capacitively coupled to the piezo film layer,
becoming the multiple transmitter elements. A second conductor bar, parallel to the patterned elements
becomes the common receiver.

Page 53
The presence of fluid couples the transmit signal to the receiver to a much greater extent (60dB) than
when the ultrasound energy is coupled by the air above the fluid. The excitation signal for the
transmitter is a 1.1 MHz sine wave tone burst with an amplitude of 20 volts peak to peak. The required
circuitry consists of a high frequency oscillator and clock, an array of analog switches, a single receiver
amplifier with input gate, and a threshold detector. These electronics can be reduced to the chip level,
and are incorporated on the backside of the circuit board.

Resolution of the level sensor is determined by the resolution of the patterned transmit electrodes on
the circuit board. Parallel elements of 2 mm width and 0.5 mm spacing between elements is a
representative capability. The ground electrode for the transmitters is a fully gold metallized surface on
the fluid side of the piezo film transmitter array. The receiver is formed by the same piece of piezo film,
capacitively coupled to the signal electrode which is a separate conductor trace on the printed circuit
board (PCB). Again, the ground is the backside electrode on the film.

The new level sensor has several unique advantages. The spacing between transmitter elements need not
be uniform For tanks that do not have a uniform volume throughout the tank height, a simple PCB
layout can linearize the nonlinear tank volume by setting the transmitter element spacing accordingly.
The output of the device is digital—no expensive A/D conversion is required. The level sensor is small
in width, less than 1 inch, so it can be inserted into a small Figure 62. Air ranging ultrasound transducers
diameter tube. The tube confines the motion of the fluid,
reducing large swings in fluid height readings caused by
motion, as with an automobile fuel tank during cornering.
Reliability is greatly improved. The level sensor is self
diagnostic to the extent that the transmitter/receiver pair
must be operational to deliver a meaningful signal. The
absence of the signal indicates a fault condition. For a
detailed discussion on Ultrasonic Ink Level Sensing, see
Appendix C.

Air Ranging Ultrasound

Ultrasonic devices used in pulse-echo modes are used in robotics, vehicle safety and control system,
object recognition systems and other remote distance measurement devices. The sensors provide high
resolution in the targeted direction, and can be used to measure the elapsed time from transmit to
receive to determine the distance to an object. Unlike piezo ceramic and electrostatic devices, piezo film
can deliver a very short pulse (due to its low Q), allowing the
same device to be used as both transmitter and receiver, even in Figure 63. Air-ranging directivity patterns
the near field of the transducer.

Multiple piezo film elements can be easily fabricated, as shown

in Figure 62. The geometries of these cylindrically shaped
elements (length, radius of curvature, number of elements) can
be designed to control the directivity pattern and acoustic
properties. Transducers with operating frequencies from 40-200
KHz have been made. Average values of transducer sensitivity
are 0.1-1 mV/Pa in the receive mode (noise was < 1µV) and 15-
75 mPa/Vcm2 in the transmit mode for 1 m of distance. The
minimum distances measured in pulse-echo mode was 30 mm.
Distances to 15 meters have been measured with a main beam
width of less than 10 degrees, and maximum side lobe
amplitudes that are 12 dB down at 60 KHz. Examples of
directivity patterns for single and multiple element transducers are shown in Figure 63. Multiple

Page 54
elements can also be used for scanning of objects without physically moving the transducer. Each
element within the transducer can be activated sequentially, as with ultrasonic arrays.

AUDIO

Speakers
One of the earliest applications for piezo film was in stereo
tweeters (Figure 64) and headset speakers developed by Figure 64. Audio speaker
Pioneer Electronics. There is strong renewed interest in
these applications as a result of the improvements in the
reliability of the electrodes and lead attachment and
packaging techniques. Gallo Acoustics has developed a high
fidelity omnidirectional tweeter using a cylinder of 52 um
thick piezo film. The tweeter rolls off at frequencies below 2
KHz, and features:

• 330 degrees of horizontal dispersion at high frequencies,

which is as much as ten times the dispersion of
conventional tweeters,
• very wide dynamic range,
• linear frequency response,
• very fast impulse response, faithfully reproducing the highest frequencies.

Novelty audio speakers have also been developed. These devices make use of the thin, light weight,
conformal nature of the piezo film. Examples include speakers for inflatables (like balloons and air
inflatable toys), speakers in apparel (including headgear) and paper thin speakers for magazine
advertising, greeting cards and posters.

Microphones
A diaphragm of piezo film, affixed in a retaining ring or mounted over a hole in a plate, makes an
excellent microphone. Vacuum formed domes on a support can be introduced into the design to take
the membrane slightly out of its neutral axis with a foam backing, a small post, bar or structure to give
the film membrane a slight radius of curvature. A self-supporting, cylindrically curved film also achieves
the mechanical bias. A typical radius of curvature for piezo film microphones which optimizes
sensitivity and electroacoustic efficiency is Ro = 25 mm, similar to that of an electrostatic microphone
construction.

Sennheiser reports a frequency response for a typical foam backed piezo film microphone of 25 mm
diameter, having Ro = 25 mm. The free field sensitivity of the device measured at 1 KHz, for sound
pressure incident on the membrane perpendicularly, was -58 dB re 1 V/Pa. Harmonic distortion
approaches 1% only at sound pressure levels exceeding 122 dB, and are not significantly higher for the
range of higher frequencies.

Microphones built with piezo film are low cost, but more importantly, are inherently immune to
moisture, unlike electrostatic types.

Electrostatics dominate the market due to the low cost that has been achieved through very high
volume manufacturing. Nonetheless, piezo film microphones are finding application in designs where

Page 55
environmental stability is critical. Waterproof microphones are being supplied for divers, withstanding
total immersion in salt water without damage.

SONAR
Piezo ceramic materials have been used in hydrophones for
SONAR since the 1940's. Ceramics have many desirable Figure 65. Hydrophone
features as hydrophones including high hydrostatic
sensitivity, high capacitance, ability to fabricate into shapes,
and availability in thick cross-section (sensitivity is
proportional to piezo element thickness). However, the
weight of ceramic is much greater than water, so buoyancy
must often be added to structures as compensation.

The current trend in SONAR is toward higher numbers of

hydrophone sensors per vehicle. Longer towed arrays and
larger and more numerous hull mounted hydrophone panels
are being employed by the fleet. This trend requires the
advancement of much lower weight hydrophones making
piezo film an excellent choice for these applications.

New piezo polymer hydrophones of thick film (1200µm)

have been made into sheet and cylinder form (Figure 65).
The cylinders, about 2-3 cm in length and <1 cm in diameter, are strung together into a continuous
hydrophone line array. The hydrophones are very light weight (0.60 g/cm3), yet have excellent
hydrostatic sensitivity.

Piezo polymer hull mounted hydrophones in panels, of about one square meter in area and greater than
1000µm in piezo polymer thickness, are used by the British and French Navies for submarines. Called
"Flank Arrays", these units work in combination with towed arrays in advanced SONAR systems. Piezo
film sheets are not fragile, conform to the radius of curvature of the hull, and are low cost. Typical
sensitivities for the piezo film thick sheet hydrophones are similar to ceramic type (-192 to -195 dB re 1
V/µ Pa). The lower capacitance of the piezo film hydrophones is compensated by the large area and
number of parallel hydrophones used.

New hydrophone technologies, including underwater ultrasound imaging for divers and related
applications are also in development.

FUTURE APPLICATIONS

Piezo film research is underway into an exciting new array of applications. A sampling of this R&D
activity is highlighted below:

Active Vibration Damping

Piezo film sensor and actuator pairs are in development for active vibration damping. In this
application, a piece of piezo film is employed as a strain gauge to detect vibration and another piece of
piezo film is employed as an actuator to dampen the vibrational noise by applying a 180 degree phase-

Page 56
shifted signal. Wide coverage of piezo film, with distributed electrode patterns, can be used to create
individual sensor/actuator pairs. Critical damping has been achieved with this piezo film laminate by
researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology and elsewhere.

The applications for this technology include the reduction in harmful vibrations in space-based
structures, fuselage for aircraft to cancel engine noise, quiet cars, quiet appliances, and a wide range of
other possibilities.

Sensors on Silicon
Piezoelectric polymers can be solution cast (spin coated) onto silicon, polarized in place, metallized in
pattern arrays, and interconnected with the integrated circuits on the chip. Minor modifications to wafer
processing make the silicon suitable for the piezo Polymer Sensor-On-Silicon (PSOS). Early work in
PSOS technology at Stanford University was frustrated by the need to adhesively bond thin sheet piezo
film onto silicon. The adhesive layer was difficult to apply to the silicon, introducing air bubbles,
wrinkles, nonuniform thickness layers, etc. The advent of new piezo polymer processing that eliminates
the adhesive makes the PSOS technology practical. R&D work at MSI and elsewhere includes the
development of pyroelectric arrays for infrared cameras, fingerprint readers, and thermal imaging
devices, ultrasound arrays for high resolution NDT and invasive medical imaging, and integrated
accelerometers for microminiature components.

Smart Skin
Piezoelectric film can both sense surface energy and can microdeflect the surface. These capabilities
may be of interest in active surfaces for sound cancellation, extension of laminar to turbulent flow
boundaries, etc. Considerable work is under way at university and government laboratories in these and
related applications.

Page 57
 Appendix A – Applications of Piezo Film

APPLICATIONS OF PIEZO FILM

COMPUTER INPUT/OUTPUT
Physical Security & Energy Management
Keypad arrays Glass Break Detectors
Digitizer Floor/Mat Sensor
Air Mouse Penetration Detection
Joystick Contact Microphone
Pen (Signature verification; Handwriting Recognition) Piezo Cable Perimeter Protection
Printers Pyrometer/Flame Sensor
Impact Flight Time Flow/Level
Ink Drop Generation and Detection Vortex
Toner and Ink Jet Level Fluidic Oscillator
Toner Activation Air Flow
Business Equipment Doppler Ultrasound
Antitamper for ATM Machine Solid State Fluid Level
Coin Counters Laminar/Turbulent Boundary Layer
Copiers Fan Failure
Switches
Paper Path Switches INSTRUMENTATION
Toner Level and Activation
Disc Drives Machine Health Monitor
Shock Sensing Accelerometers Accelerometers
Contact Microphones
INDUSTRIAL Hi-Strain Dynamic Strain Gages
Weather Sensors
Switches Rain Intensity
Solid State Momentary Hail Detection
Snap Action Wind Velocity
Cantilever Beam Active Vibration Damping
Keypad Strain Gages Sensor Arrays
Vandal-Proof Actuator Arrays
Intrinsically Safe Non Destructive Engineering
CMOS Wake-up Flexible Contact NDT Probes
Low-Deflection NDT Arrays
Singing Switch (a.c. switch) Acoustic Emission Sensors
Coin Counter Air Ranging Ultrasound
Acoustic Switch Safety
Shaft Rotation Counter Distance
Robotics
Tactile Sensor Adaptive Optics
Micropositioner Fiber Optic Shutters/Modulators
Safety Mats & Switches Deformable Mirrors
Bumper Impact Laser Scanners
Oil Exploration
Hydrophones
Seismic Geophones

Page 58
MEDICAL CONSUMER

Diagnostics Musical Instruments

Apnea Monitor Piano Keys
Ambulatory/Gait Monitors Pick-up
Blood Pressure Cuff Drum Trigger
Pulse Counter Sports Equipment
Stethoscope Target Location
Sleep Disorder Monitors Reaction Time
Respiratory Air Flow Foul Line
Isokinetics Force (Karate, Impact)
Patient Bed Monitor Sweet Spot
Ultrasound Toys/Games
Near Field Imaging Switches
Prostate Proximity (Air Ranging Ultrasound, Pyro)
Transdermal Novelty Speakers (Microphones)
Transluminal Target Scoring
Coronary Arterial Audio
Breast Tweeter
Lithotripter Balloon Speakers
Hydrophone Calibration Probes Novelty Speakers (Visor, Poster)
Handicapped Aides Microphone
Switches Speaker distortion Feedback Accelerometer
Braille Reader Appliance
Hearing Aid Washer Imbalance
Speech Intensification Vacuum Soil Sensing
Implantables Dishwasher Spray Arm
Pacemaker Activity Monitor Level Sensing Switches
Implantable Switch
Vascular Graft Monitor MILITARY/GOVERNMENT
Micropower Source
Instrumentation Hydrophones
Intravenous Drop Counter Towed Cable Array
IV Air Bubble Detection Hull Mounted Arrays
Laser Switch/Modulator Sonobuoys
Active Noise Suppression
AUTOMOTIVE Ballistics
Safety and Arming Fuses
Accelerometers Shock Wave Gages
Occupancy Seat Sensor Seismic Accelerometers
Switches Physical Security
Passenger Compartment Switches Perimeter Security Cable (Buried or Fence)
Horn Switch Seismic/Geophones
Control Panel Covert Microphones
Fuel Level, Tire Rotation, Security Traffic Sensors
Keyless Entry Vehicle Classification
Motion (Theft) Sensor Weight-In-Motion
Speed, Red Light Enforcement
Lane Designation
Toll Booth

Page 59
 Appendix B - INDEX OF PIEZO FILM ARTICLES
[NOTE: THIS LIST IS ONLY A REFERENCE. COPIES OF THESE ARTICLES ARE NOT SUPPLIED BY MSI, INC.]

CODE AUTHOR AND REFERENCE TITLE

DEFOULING

DF1 U.S Patent, 4,170,185 P.V. Murphy, M.J. Latour, Lectret Preventing Marine Fouling.
S.A. (Switzerland) Oct. 9 1979.

DF2 US DOD, Small Bus. Innovation Research Program; Ocean Piezoelectric Copolymer Antifouling
Power Technologies, Inc. Topic #DARPA 90-111 System

ACTUATORS (Electromotional Devices)

EM1 M. Toda & S. Osaka (RCA, Japan.) Proceedings of the Vibrational Fan Using the Piezoelectric
IEEE.67(8). August, 1979. Polymer PVF2.

EM2 M. Toda & S. Osaka (RCA Japan). Transactions of the Electromotional Devices Using PVF2
IECE of Japan. 61(7). July 1978. Multilayer Bimorph.

EM3 M. Toda (RCA, Japan) Transactions of the IECE of Japan Design of Piezoelectric Polymer Motional
61(7). July, 1978. Devices with Various Structures.

EM4 Gale E. Nevil, Jr. & Alan F. Davis. Paper from "Robotics The Potential of Corrugated PVDF
Research: The next Five Years and Beyond". Aug. 14-16, Bimorphs for Actuation and Sensing.
1984.

EM5 U.S. Patent, 4,666,198 Heiserman, David L., Microflex Piezoelectric Polymer Microgripper.
Technology.

EM6 Linvill, J.G. Stanford University. ©1986 IEEE Piezoelectric Polymer Transducer Arrays.

EM7 Clive Robertson, Pennwalt (Europe) Application note. Bimorph Drivers - An Electronic Solution.

EM8 M. Toda, K. Park, Atochem Sensors Update on Novel Piezo Film Actuators and
Ultrasound Transducers.

EM20 Amr M. Baz, Jeng-Jong Ro. Sound & Vibration, March The Concept and Performance of Active
1994. Constrained Layer Damping Treatments

EM21 M. Sasaki, P.K.C. Wang, F. Fujisawa. Stability Analysis of Piezo Polymer Flexible
Twisting Micro-Actuator with a Linear
Feedback Control.

EM22 US Patent 5,295,014, Minoru Toda Two-Dimensional Laser Beam Scaner

Using PVDF Bimorph.

Page 60
EM23 Minoru Toda, Ferroelectrics, 1979, Vol.22, pp 911-918 Theory of Air Flow Generation By A
Resonant Type PVF2 Bimorph Cantilever
Vibrator.

FORCE TRANSDUCERS

F1 G.R. Crane (Bell Labs, Holmdel) Transactions on Sonics Poly(vinylidene)Fluoride Used for
and Ultrasonics. SU-25(6). November, 1978. Piezoelectric Coin Sensors.

F4 D.S. Leitner (Columbia U.) & M.C. Rosenberger (N.Y. A Simple and Inexpensive Startle
Psych. Inst) Behaviour Research Methods and Transducer with High Output.
Instrumentation. 15(5). 1983.

F5 U.S. Patent 4,282,532 R.G. Markham (Xerox Corp.) August Ink Jet Method and Apparatus Using a
4, 1981. Thin Film piezoelectric Excitor for Drop
Generation.

F15 National Bureau of Standards NBSIR 76;1078. June 1976. Piezo Polymer Transducers for Dynamic
Pressure Measurements.

F17 K.T. Park et al, IEEE 1986 International Symposium on the A charge Readout Algorithm for Piezo
Applications of Ferroelectrics. Force Transducers.

F18 Seh-Ieh Chou et al. From Proceedings of the 1986 SEM Interlaminar Normal Stresses in a
Spring Conference on Experimental Mechanics. New Multilayered Plate -Theory and
Orleans, LA. June 3-18, 1986. Experiment.

F22 Scottish Schools Science Equip. Research Centre. Electronic Balances using Kynar Piezo
January, 1987. Film.

F27 A.A.H.P. Megans, J. et al Janssen Pharmaceutica Behavioral activity of rats measured by a

Psychopharmacology(1987)93: new method based on the piezo-electric
principle.

F30 USA Patent 4,807,482. Kyung T. Park, Upper Darby; Method and Apparatus for Measuring
Richard D. Klafter, Wyncote, both of Pa. Stimuli applied to a Piezoelectric
Transducer.

F32 USA Patent 4,512,431. April 23 1985. Weight Sensing Apparatus Employing
Polymeric Piezoelectric Film

F35 A. G. Bagnall, Harrow School, Harrow, Middlesex. UK Investigations Using Piezo Film

F41 A. J. Tuzzolino; Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Two-dimensional position-sensing PVDF
Research 00 (1991) NIM06317, North-Holland; Elsevier dust detectors for measurement of dust
Science Purlibhsers B.N. particle trajectory, velocity, and mass

Page 61
F42 D. A. Dillard, G. L. Anderson, D. D. Davis; 35th Sagamore A Preliminary Study of the use of Kynar
Army Matls Res. Conf., Manchester, NJ June 26-30, 1988. Piezoelectric Film to Measure Peel
Stresses in Adhesive Joints

F43 Randy Fromm, RePlay Magazine, November 1991. Gottlieb's System 3 Pinball

F44 W. Nitsche, M. Swoboda, P. Mirow, Berlin; Z. Flugwiss. Shock Detection by means of Piezofoils.
Weltraumforsch. 15(1991) 223-226. Springer-Verlag 1991

F45 W. N. Nitsche, P. Mirow, J. Szodruch, Berlin; Experiments Piezo-electric foils as a means of Sensing
in Fluids, Springer-Verlag 1991 Unsteady Surface Forces

F46 Pieter de Bruyne, Laboratory for Communication A Piezo-Electric Recording Device of

Technology, Zurich, Switzerland; presented at International Writing Velocity
Graphics Symposium, Tempe AZ, Oct 27-30, 1993.

F47 UK Patent, 2,235,802A; John Ronald Parks, National Capturing Information in Drawing or
Research Development Corporation, London, 03-13-91. Writing

F48 A.J. Tuzzolino, J.Z. Simpson, R.B. McKibben, H.D. Voss, An Instrument For Discrimination Between
H. Gursky. Adv Space Res., Vol 13, no 8, pp 133-136. Orbital Debris and Natural Particles In
Near-Earth Space.

F49 A.J. Tuzzolino. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in PVDF Copolymer Dust Detectors: Particle
Physics Research 1992. Response and Penetration Characteristics.

FLOW

FL1 Pennwalt News Release. May 1982 Piezo Film is key to Unique Flowmeter in
New Perkin-Elmer Monitoring System.

FL4 Clive Robertson, Pennwalt Piezo Film Ltd. Edinburgh The Use of Piezo Film for Sensing Fan
Failure.

FL5 K. Sakai, Tokyo Gas Co, M. Okabayashi, Osaka Gas Co, Fluid Flowmeter - Gas Flowmeter Based
Yasuda, Toho Gas Co. on Fluidic Dynamic Oscillation.

FL8 Richard Brown, Pennwalt Piezo Film Ltd. Edinburgh, Fuel Level Sensor using Multiple
7/23/90 Transducers

FL9 E. J. Stefanides, Design News, p. 107; 7/23/91 Piezo Sensor Upgrades Wastewater
Sampler's Accuracy

FL10 U.S. Patent 4,920,794 Ingman, 1988 Fluid Flow Meter

FL11 Richard Brown, Elf Atochem Sensors, Ltd., July 1992 Fuel Tank Level Sensor with Digital Output

FL12 Richard Brown, AMP Sensors EMEA Discussion of Ultrasonic Ink Level Sensing

Page 62
GENERAL

G6 M. Toda (RCA Japan). J.Appl. Phys. 51(9), September Elastic Properties of Piezoelectric PVF2.
1980.

G15 Pennwalt Corporation. Material Safety Data Sheet. Nov.

15, 1986.KYNAR Piezo Film

G19 U.S. Patent, 4,633,122 P.F. Radice (Pennwalt) Dec. 30, Means for Electrically Connecting
1986. Electrodes on Different Surfaces of
Piezoelectric Polymer Films.

G23 N.A. Suttle, Marconi Research Centre. GEC Journal of New Piezoelectric Polymers
Research, Vol.5, No. 31987

G24 Invention Record, Pennwalt Piezo Film Ltd., Edinburgh. Forming mechanical and electrical
connections to printed circuit boards.

G27 Francois Bauer, Lucien Eyraud Saint-Louis, France. Ferroelectric Homopolymer PVDF and
P(VDF-TrFE) Copolymers.

G30 Encyclopedia of Polymer Science and Engineering, Vol. 17, Vinlydene Fluoride Polymers
p. 532

G31 U.S. Patent 4,931,019, Kyung T. Park, 1 Sep 1988. Electrostatic Image Display Apparatus

G32 Richard A. Ferren, Atochem Sensors, Inc. 1990 Polymeric Piezoelectric Transducers

G34 Steve Garrison, The Science Teacher, Feb. 92 Piezoelectric Film. . Investigate its
Flexibility

G35 U.S. Patent 5,089,741, K. Park, F. Gastgeb, G. Daniels, Piezo Film Impact Detector with Pyro
Atochem Sensors, Inc. 1990 Effect Elimination

G36 W. Campbell, Jr., J. J. Scialdone, Goddard Space Flight Outgassing Data for Selecting Spacecraft
Center, Greenbelt, MD; NASA Reference Publication 1124 Material
Revision 2

G37 B.A. Auld (Stanford U.) & J.J. Gagnepain. J. Appl Physics. Shear Properties of Polarized PVF2 Film
50(8). August 1979. Studied by the Piezoelectric Resonance
Method.

G38 Nicola A. Suttle New Piezoelectric Polymers

G41 D. Clarkson, Maplin Magazine, Jan 1993, pp 36-39 Piezoelectric Technology

G42 D. M. Brown, B&D Insts & Avionics, Inc. Valley Center, KS. Applications of PVDF for Aircraft Sensors
Sensors Expo Proc, 1991; pp 105A-1 - 105A-11

Page 63
G43 F. Bauer, St. Louis, FR; J. Simonne, Toulouse, FR; L. Ferroelectric Copolymer and IR Sensor
Audaire, Grenoble, FR. 8th IEEE Int'l Symp. on Applic. of Technology applied to Obstacle Detection
Ferroelectrics, Greenville, SC, Aug 31- Sep 2, 1992

G44 US Patent 5,424,716. Kyung Park Penetration Detection System

G45 Joseph Dougherty. Penn State Mat’l Research Lab Report PVDF Copolymer - Piezoelectric Powder
Composites.

G46 Ken Turner. Schaumburg High School Smart Sensors Module Report

G47 Glen MacGibbon. Appliance Engineer Piezo Film Sensors For Appliance
Applications.

G48 M.G. Broadhurst, G.T. Davis, J.E. McKinney, R.E. Collins Piezoelectricity & Pyroelectricity in PVDF-
A-Model

HYDROPHONES

H1 T.D. Sullivan & J.M. Powers (U.S. Navy). J. Acoust. Soc. Piezoelectric Polymer Flexural Disk
Am. 63(5). May 1978. Hydrophone.

H3 B. Woodward & R.C. Chandra (EE Dept., Lonborough U of Underwater Acoustic Measurements on
Tech.) Electrocomponent Sci & Tech. 5. 1978. Polyvinylidene Fluoride Transducers.

H4 Powers (U.S. Navy). Naval Underwater Systems Center, Piezoelectric Polymer - An Emerging
New London, CT 06320 Hydrophone Technology.

H6 R.H. Tancrell, D.T. Wilson, D.T. and D. Ricketts, Raytheon Properties of PVDF Polymer for Sonar.
Research Division.

H8 J.M. Powers (U.S. Navy). Long range Hydrophones.

H10 M. A. Josserand and C. Maerfeld, Thomson-CFS, France. PVF2 Velocity Hydrophones.

H11 David R. Fox, IEEE Journal of Oceanic Engineering, Vol. A Low-Density Extended Acoustic Sensor
13, No. 4, Oct. 1988 for Low-Frequency Arrays

H13 Atochem Sensors, Inc. 12/31/90 Piezoelectric Polymer Hydrophones

H14 Innovative Transducers Inc., 1990 PISCIS MS-4 Marsh/Swamp Hydrophone

PISCIS MS-5 Marsh/Swamp Hydrophone
PISCIS BC-4 Bottom Cable Hydrophone

H15 Gregory Kaduchak, Christopher Kwaitkowski, Philip Measurement and Interpretation of the
Marstan. J. Acoustic Soc. Am. 97 (5) Pt 1, May 1995 Impulse Response For Backscattering By
A Thin Spherical Shell Using A Broad-
Bandwidth Source That Is Nearly
Acoustically Transparent.

Page 64
H16 Clayton Spikes, Christopher Clark. Sea Technology, April Whales 95 - Revolutionizing Marine
1996 Mammal Monitoring Technology

IMPACT SENSORS

I1 U.S. Patent 4,904,894 Henry et al. February 1990 Hail Sensor

I2 Joseph Paradiso, Craig Abler, Kai-yuh Hsiao, Matthew The Magic Carpet: Physical Sensing for
Reynolds Immersive Environments

KEYBOARDS

K2 Patent 4,234,813 Heishaburo et al. (Toray Ind) November Piezoelectric or Pyroelectric Polymer Input
18, 1980. Element for Use as a Transducer in
Keyboards.

K6 U.S.Patent 4,328,441. F.R.Kroeger & R.A. Norquist (3M) Output Circuit for Piezo-electric Polymer
May 4, 1982. Pressure.

K9 J.V.Chatigny, Atochem Sensors Novel Switch Ideas Using Piezo

pyroelectric Polymer films.

K10 U.S. Patent, 4,633,123. P.F. Radice (Pennwalt) Dec. 30, Piezoelectric Polymer Keyboard
1986 Apparatus.

K11 U.S. Patent, 4,975,616. K.T. Park Piezoelectric Transducer Array.

K12 U.S. Patent, 5,315,204. Kyung Park Piezoelectric Snap Action Switch.

MICROPHONES

M1 H.Naono, T.Gotch, M. Matsumoto (Acoustic Research Lab, Design of an Electro-Acoustic Transducer

Japan). using Piezoelectric Polymer Film.

M2 G.M. Garner (Allen Clark Research Centre). Systems A new Microphone for Telephone
Technology. 27 November 1977. Handsets.

M3 Pioneer Electric Corp. Electroacoustic Transducer with

Piezoelectric High Polymer Films.

M5 J.F. Sear & R. Carpenter (Allen Clerk - UK). Electronic Noise-Cancelling Microphone using a
Letters. 11. 1975. Piezoelectric Plastic Transducing Element.

M6 Reihard Lerch (Darmstadt, FRG). J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 66(4) Electroacoustic Transducers using
October, 1979 Piezoelectric Polyvinylidene fluoride Films.
Page 65
M11 R. Lerch & G.M. Sessler. J. Acoust. Soc. Am. 76(4) April Microphone with Rigidly Supported Piezo
1980 Polymer membranes.

M15 I. Veit, Sennheiser Electronic Wedemark, Germany. The Piezoelectric PVDF Film. Its
Presented at 84th Convention of Audio Engrg Society, properties and application in
March 14, 1988 electroacoustic transducers.

M17 Edward F. Downs, Jr. NCSC IR415-89 Independent Exploratory Development

Piezoelectric Diver's Microphone
Development.

MEDICAL APNEA

MA2 UK Patent, 2,138,144, A J. Fraden ,Timex Medical, USA 14 Cardio-Respiration Transducer.

February 1984.

MA5 D.DeRossi and P Dario University Pisa and NCR Institute, Biomedical Applications of Piezoelectric
Pisa. and Pyro-Electric Polymers.

MA6 F. Steenkeste and &. Moschetto et al. Lille, France. An Application of PVF2 Fetal
Phonocardiographic Transducers.

MA7 K. Kobayashi & T. Yasuda Tokyo Ins. of Technology. An Application of PVDF Film to Medical
Transducers.

MA8 D. Dario, D De Rossie, R. Bedini, R. Francesconi & M.G. PVF2 Catheter-Tip Transducers for
Trivella, Pisa, Italy. Pressure, Sound & Flow Measurements.

MA10 Sally L. Hope et.al. Park Lane Surgery, Woodstock, Oxford Validation of the Accuracy of the Medilog
UK. Journal of Ambulatory Monitoring 1988, Vol. 1 no. 1, ABP non-invasive blood-pressure monitor.
39-51.

MA11 J. Fraden, Journal of Clinical Engineering. Vol.13, No3, Applications of Piezo/Pyroelectric Films in
Mar-April 1988. Medical Transducers.

MA14 U.S. Patent, 4,690,143, E. A. Schroeppel, Miramar, FL, Pacing Lead with Piezoelectric Power
Jan. 24, 1986 Generating Means

MA16 D. Cavaye, M. Tabbara, G. Kopchok, R. White. Harbor- Continuous Piezoelectric Pulse-Sensor

UCLA Med Ctr. Presented at So Cal Vascular Surgical Monitoring of Peripheral Vascular
Society Annual Scientific Mtg, Marina Del Ray, CA 9/91 Reconstructions.

MA17 J. French, A. Siebens, Div of Rehab Medicine, Johns Interfacing Piezoelectric/ Pyroelectric
Hopkins Univ. Presented at RESNA 13 Annual Conf, Sensors for use with Communication
Washington DC 1990 Devices

MA18 C. K. McKibben, N. V. Reo, Dept of Chemistry, Kettering- A Piezoelectric Respiratory Monitor for In
Scott Magnetic Resonance Lab, Wright State Univ & Vivo NMR
Kettering Medical Center, Dayton OH

Page 66
MA19 Medical Electronics Buying Guide. Sept 1994 Buyers Guide and Market Analysis

MA20 SBIR Research Proposal, Phase I Abstract A Bilaminate Electronic Bioinductive

Wound Seal.

MA21 Allen Zuckerwar, Robert Pretlow, John Stoughton, Donald Development of a Piezopolymer Pressure
Baker. IEEE Vol 40, No 9, September 1993 Sensor for a Portable Fetal Heart Rate
Monitor.

MA22 Chris Henry. July 1988 Vascucare Respiration Air Monitor

(R.A.M.) Phase II, Engineering Report.

MA23 S. Chonan, Z.W.Jiang, Y. Tanahashi, M. Tanaka, Y. Suga A Soft Palpation Sensor & its Application
to Measurement of the Stiffness of
Prostate Glands

MA24 North American Science Research

Associates Inc. RESEARCH REPORT ON
TOXICITY

MEDICAL OSTEOGEN

MO1 J.J. Ficat, R. Durroux et al (France). Univ Paul Sabatien Osteogen material/Piezoelectric Polymer.

MUSIC

MS4 Pennwalt Press Release. June 1985. Virtuoso Qualities in Electric Violin Made
Possible by New Transducer Material.

MS5 Pennwalt Press Release. July 1985. Piezo Film Pickup puts "The Sound of
Magic" in New Gibson Guitar Line.

MEDICAL ULTRASOUND

MU5 Toray Industries, Tokyo, Japan. Ind. publication. Piezoelectric Polymer Transducers for
High Resolution Ultrasound Imaging.

MU6 J. Callerame et al. (Raytheon) in 1978 Ultrasonics Comparison of Ceramic and Polymer
Symposium, J. DeKerk & B.R. McAvoy, Editors IEEE Cat. Transducers for Medical Imaging.
No. 78 1344-ISU.V

MU7 N. Chubachi (Japan). Paper presented at Joint Meeting of Piezoelectric Polymer Transducer and its
the Acoustical Society of America and Acoustical Society of application to Acoustics.
Japan (Honolulu, 1978).

MU10 Mark Schafer & Peter A. Lewin. IEEE Transactions on The Influence of Front-End hardware on
Sonics and Ultrasonics, Vol. SU-31 No 4. July 1984 Digital Ultrasonic Imaging.

Page 67
MU13 F.S. Foster et.al. Ultrasound in Med. & Biol. 9(2) 151-164 Breast Imaging with a Conical
1983. Transducer/Annular Array Hybrid Scanner.

MU16 Peter A. Lewin & Mark Schafer. Drexel University, Piezoelectric Polymer Transducers for
Philadelphia, PA. Ultrasound Dosimetry Application.

MU17 M. Platte. A Polyvinylidene Fluoride Needle

Hydrophone for Ultrasonic Applications.

MU18 C.T. Lancee, J. Souquet, H. Ohigashi and N. Bom, Fifth Ferroelectric ceramics versus polymer
Symposium on Echo-cardiology, Rotterdam, 1983. piezoelectric materials.

MU23 D.W. Fitting et al. IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, A Two-Dimensional Array Receiver for
Ferroelectrics, vol. UFFC-34 No. 3, May 1987. Reducing Refraction Artifacts in Ultrasonic
Computed Tomography of Attenuation.

MU24 M. D. Shearer, F. S. Foster, University of Toronto. A 100 MHz PVDF Ultrasound Microscope
with Biological Applications.

MU25 Valerie P. Jackson, M.D. et al. RADIOLOGY, Vol. 159, No. Automated Breast Sonography Using a
3, Pages 679-684, June 1986. 7.5MHz PVDF Transducer: Preliminary
Clinical Evaluation.

MU26 L. F. Brown & D. L. Carlson.IEEE Trans. on Ultrasonics, Ultrasound Transducer Models for
Ferroelectrics & Freq Control. Vol.36, No3, May 1989. Piezoelectric Polymer Films.

MU28 Stephen W. Smith, Principle Investigator, ERC Ultrasound Transducers

MU30 B. Granz, R. Holzapfel, G. Kohler, IEEE 1989 Ultrasonics Measurement of Shock Waves in the
Symposium Focus of a Lithotripter

MU31 P. A Contla, D. K. Das-Gupta, IEEE 1991 Ultrasonic Piezoelectric Transducer for

Biomedical Applications

MU32 R. Goldberg, S. Smith, Dept. Biomedical Engrg, Duke In Vivo Imaging using a Copolymer
Univ., Durham, NC; L. Brown, Atochem Sensors, Inc., Phased Array
Valley Forge, PA

MU33 L. F. Brown, PhD., Elect Engrg Dept, So Dakota St Univ; New Developments in Piezoelectric
Presented at 1992 SPIE International Symposium on Polymer Ultrasound Transducers and
Optical Applied Science and Engineering, 7/21/92, San Transducer Systems
Diego, CA

NON-DESTRUCTIVE TESTING

NDT1 R.Stiffler & E.G. Henneke, 11 (VPI). Materials Evaluation, Application of Polyvinylidene Fluoride as
41. July, 1983. an Acoustic Emission Transducer for
Fibrous Composite Materials.

Page 68
NDT4 Systems & Instrumentation Ltd. Pershore, Worcs, England. Polymer Film Transducers.

NDT8 Lewis F. Brown, Ph.D. Pennwalt Corp., Valley Forge, PA. Piezoelectric Polymer Ultrasound
Presented at ASNT 1989 Fall Conference Oct 9-13 1989. Transducers for Nondestructive Testing.

NDT9 Lewis F. Brown, Ph.D. Pennwalt Corp., Valley Forge, PA. New Ferroelectric Polymer Ultrasound
Presented at 7th Intl Symposium on Applic. of Contact Transducers for Non-destructive
Ferroelectrics, June 6-8, 1990 Testing Applications

NDT10 Lewis F. Brown, Ph.D. Pennwalt Corp., Valley Forge, PA. Permanently Mounted Piezo Film Sensors
Presented at 1990 Review of Progress in Quantitative for Structural Quantitative NDE
NDE, July 15-20, 1990

NDT11 Lewis F. Brown, PhD. Atochem Sensors, Inc. Valley Forge, PFS-Gap: A Large Area Ultrasonic Gap
PA. Presented at 1991 Review of Progress in Quantitative Profile Measurement System
NDE, July 28-Aug. 2, 1991

NDT12 J. Bulteel, Sensor Review, Vol. 11 No. 3. 1991. pp. 23-24 Polymer Materials for Ultrasonic
Transducers

NDT13 L.F. Brown, PhD. So Dakota St Univ, Brookings, SD; W.M. Custom PVDF Transducers for Pulse-Echo
Sisson, United Technologies Res. Ctr, East Hartford, CT; Testing of Solid Rocket Motors for
C.P. Guerin, Elf Atochem Sensors, Valley Forge, PA. Detection of Propellant-to-Boot-Liner
Presented at 1992 Conf on Review of Progress in Unbonds
Quantitative Nondestructive Evaluation, July 23, 1992, Univ
of Cal-San Diego

NDT14 L.F. Brown, PhD. So Dakota St Univ, Brookings, SD. Ferroelectric Polymers: Current and Future
Presented at 1992 IEEE Fall Ultrasonics Symposium, Oct Ultrasound Applications
20-23, 1992, Tucson, AZ

NDT16 Lewis Brown. 1992 IEEE 8th International Symposium New Extremely Broadband Ferroelectric
Polymer Ultrasound Transducers

OPTICAL

OP1 T. Sato, H. Ishida & Co. Ikeda (Japan). Applied Optics. Adaptive PVDF Piezoelectric Deformable
19(9). Mirror System.

OP2 H. Ohigashi, R. Shigenari, & M. Tokota (Toray, Japan) Light Modulation by Ultrasonic Waves from
Japan J. Appl. Phys. 14(7) 1975. Piezoelectric Polyvinylidene Fluoride
Films.

OP3 D. Broussoux & F. Micheron (France). J. Appl. Phys. 51(4). Electro-optic and Elastoptic Effects in
April, 1980. Polyvinylidene Fluoride.

OP4 T. Sato, Y. Ueda & O. Ikeda (Japan). Applied Optics 20(2). Transmission-type PVDF 2-D Optical
January, 1981. Phrase Modulator.

Page 69
OP5 S.A. Kokorowski (Hughes Research). J Opt. Soc. Am. Analysis of Adaptive Optical Elements
69(1) January, 1979. Made from Piezoelectric Bimorphs.

OP6 R. Kashyap & P. Pantelis. Second Symposium on Optic Measurement of Optical Fibre Absorption
Fibre Measurements, Oct. 13-14 1982 Loss: A Novel Technique.

OP7 P. D. DeSouza, M. D. Mermelstein, Applied Optics, Dec. 1, Electric Field Detection with a Piezoelectric
1982. Polymer-jacketed Single-Mode Optical
Fiber

OP8 H. Coufal (IBM) Applied Physics Letters. 44(1) January 1, Photothermal Spectroscopy Using a
1984. Pyroelectric Thin-Film Detector.

OP9 U.S. Patent 4,748,366 George Taylor, Sept. 2, 1986 Novel uses of Piezoelectric Materials for
Creating Optical Effects

OP10 H. Sasabe, T. Nakayama et al. (Japan). Polymer Journal Photovoltaic Effect in Poly(vinylidene
13(10). 1981. fluoride)

OP11 A. Mandelis (Toronto) Chemical Physics Letters 108(4). Frequency-Domain Photopyroelectric

July 13, 1984. Spectroscopy of Condensed Phrases
(PPES): A New Simple and Powerful
Spectroscopic Technique.

OP12 V. S. Sudarshanam, R. O. Claus, Fiber & Electro Optics Fiber Optic Polarization and Phase
Res Ctr, VA Polytechnic Inst & State Univ, Blacksburg, VA. Modulator Utilizing a Transparent Piezofilm
Accepted for publication in Proc Optical Fiber Sensors '93) with Indium Tin Oxide Electrodes
Firenze, Italy, May 1993.

PYROELECTRIC

P5 K. Shigiyama & K. Miura (Matsushita Comm. Inds. PVDF Infrared Detector and Microphone
Co.,Japan). Presentation. for Monitoring.

P7 U. Korn, Z. Rav-Noy & S. Shtrikman (Israel). Applied Pyroelectric PVF2 Infrared Detector
Optics 20(11). June 1981. Arrays.

P12 U.S. Patent 3,824,098 J.G. BERGMAN et al. (Bell Labs) Pyroelectric Copying Device.
July 16, 1974.
P17 L.E. Ravich. Electronic Imaging. June 1984. Pyroelectric Infrared Detectors.

P19 Pennwalt Corporation KYNAR Properties.

P24 H. Meixner, G. Mader, P. Kleinschmidt. Siemens Entwickl. - Infrared sensors based on the Pyroelectric
Ber.Bd.15(1986)Nr.3. Polymer Poly-Vinylidene Fluoride (PVDF).

Page 70
P25 Microwatt Applications. Sea Cliff, New York. U.S.A. Comparisons of Pyroelectric and
Piezoelectric Properties and Manufacturing
of Several Detector Materials for Military
and Scientific Applications.

P26 Microwatt Applications. Sea Cliff, New York. U.S.A. Motion Detection Systems with
Pyroelectric IR Detectors.

P27 Alan P Doctor, Microwatt Applications Inc., Martin Rost, Pyroelectrics for Smart Munitions.
Servo Corporation.

P29 M. Hammerich and A. Olafsson, Physics Lab., HC Orsted A Versatile, low-cost pyroelectric Laser
Inst. Power Monitor for the 1mW to 50W range.

P30 Reinhard Freitag, Hans Meixner Siemens AG, Corporate PVDF Sensor Array for Human Body
Research and Development, Munich, West Germany. Detection.

P33 U.S. Patent 4,797,840 Jacob Fraden, Hamden, Conn. Jan Infrared Electronic Thermometer and
10, 1989 Method for Measuring Temperature

P34 Richard Brown, ASL; 14 Dec 1990 Thermal Detector

P36 M. Thompson, Atochem Sensors, Valley Forge, PA. Advances in Passive Infrared Sensors
Presented at the 1991 Sensors Conference, Chicago, IL Based on Pyroelectric Polymer Films

P37 Edward Tom, Atochem Sensors, Valley Forge, PA Polymer Passive Infrared Design for Long
Range Detection

P38 Edward Tom. SENSORS Sept 1994 Polymer Film Arrays in Pyroelectric
Applications

POWER GENERATION

PW2 Hausler, E. & Stein L. Paper presented at Ocenas '85. Hydromechanic-Electric Power Converter.

PW3 Richard Brown, Pennwalt (Europe). Appl. note. The LED Report.

PW9 Richard Brown, ASL; 1 Jan 1991 Piezo Film Power Supply; Tyre Sensor

PW10 Richard Brown, ASL; 3 Mar 1991 Energy Generation Using Piezo Film

PW11 G.E. Taylor, J. R. Burns, OPT Hydropiezoelectricity

PW12 Otter Controls Ltd, Derbyshire, England; OTT2P2, June, Otter Signals an End to High-Speed Tyre
1991 Blow-outs

PW13 USA Patent 3,665,226. R. Sinker, G. Williams; (Hughes Electric Power Source
Aircraft) May 23, 1972
Page 71
PW14 V. Hugo Schmidt. 1992 Ultrasonics Symposium Piezoelectric Energy Conversion in
Wildmills.

PW15 V. Hugo Schmidt. IEEE, 1986 Theoretical Electrical Power Output Per
Unit Volume of PVF2 and Mechanical-To-
Electrical Conversion Efficiency as
Functions of Frequency.

ROBOTICS

R4 P. Dario, C. Domenici, R. Bardelli et al. Unpublished Piezoelectric Polymers: New Sensor

paper. Materials for Robotic Applications.

R5 P. Dario, R. Bardelli, D. de Rossie et al. Sensor Review. Touch-sensitive Polymer Skin Uses
October, 1982. Piezoelectric properties to Recognize
Orientation of Objects.

R8 Allen R. Grahn and Lynn Astle. Salt Lake City. Robotic Ultrasonic Force Sensor Arrays.

R9 D. DeRossi & P. Ario. Paper from "Robotics Research: Multiple Sensing Polymeric Transducers
The Next Five Years and Beyond." Aug. 14-16, 1984. for Object Recognition Through Active
Touch Exploration.

R11 Greg Toto Polyvinylidene Fluoride Tactile

Transducers.

R12 P. Dario et al. University of Pisa, Italy. Ferroelectric Polymer Tactile Sensors with
Anthropomorphic Features.

R13 K.T. Park, R.D. Klafter, P.E. Bloomfield A PVDF Tactile Sensor for Industrial
Robots.

R14 U.S. Patent 4,634,917 J.E. Dvorsky, B.A. Kelly, R.B. Active Multi-Layer Piezoelectric Tactile
McCown, D.F. Renner, (Battelle) Dec. 26, 1984 Sensor Apparatus and Method.

R15 R. Klafter, K.T. Park. Sensors Expo Sept. 16, 1987 Applications of a Piezoelectric Polymer
Film to Robotic Sensing.

R16 D. DeRossi, A. Nannini, C. Domenici. Univers Pisa. A Biominetic Tactile Sensor with Stress-
Component Discrimination Capability.

R19 Sensors, June 1992 Ultrasonic Force Sensor Technology

SPEAKERS

S1 M. Tamura, T. Yamaguchi et al. (Pioneer Electronic Corp., Electroacoustic Transducers with

Japan) Journal of the Audio Engineering Society. 23(1) Piezoelectric High Polymer Films.
January February, 1975.

Page 72
S2 Pioneer Pioneers New High Polymer Molecular
Transducer Technology Will Alter the
Course of High Fidelity.

S3 B.Locanthi, K. Maekawa, K. Sugano et al. (Pioneer, Development of a Loudspeaker System

Japan) Unpublished paper. with Omni-Directional Horn Loaded High
Polymer Tweeter.

S4 S. Edelman & A.S. DeReggi (NBS) Journal of the Audio Comments on "Electroacoustic
Engineering Society. 24(7) September 1976. Transducers with piezoelectric High
Polymer Films.

S6 Jesse Klapholz, Klapholz Technologies. Presented at 79th High Polymer piezo film in Electroacoustial
Convention of the Audio Engrg Society. Oct. 12-16, 1985. Transducer Applications.

S8 Jesse Klapholz. db Magazine Nov-Dec. 1985. Polymer Film for Transducers.

S11 U.K. Patent 8,626,712. Nov 8 1986. Clive Robertson, Integrating Amplifiers.
Pennwalt Piezo Film Ltd, Dunfermline, Scotland.

S12 K. Hatakeyama, S. Kinoshita, A. Haeno, T. Asanuma, Development of a Loudspeaker System

Pioneer Electronic Corp. (Tokorozawa, Japan) with Omni-Directional High Polymer
Tweeters

S13 U.S. Patent 5,115,472. May 19, 1992. K. T. Park, P. F. Electroacoustic Novelties
Radice

S14 Joseph Paradiso, MIT Media Lab. IBM Systems Journal, The Interactive Balloon: Sensing,
November 1995 Actuation and Behavior in a Common
Object.

S15 U.S. Patent. 5,309,519. May 3, 1994 Kyung Park, Peter Electroacoustic Novelties
Radice

S16 Research Proposal Thin Film Transducers as Implantable

Hearing Aids

S17 Hong Wang Piezoelectric Polymer Speaker

S18 J.A. Paradiso The Interactive Balloon: Sensing,

actuation, and behavior in a common
object

SPORT

SP1 PCT. Patent No. WO 84/04692. P.P. Vanderreydt. Device for Localizing the Impact of a Ball
6 December 1984 or an Object on a Sports Court.

Page 73
SP2 PCT. Patent No. WO 89/05174 ENCICCA, Traian, Anghel. Signalling System for Localizing in-out Ball
15 June 1989. Impacts by Ball Games

SP3 U. S. Patent No. 4,824,107 Larry J. French, Bay Village, Sports Scoring Device including a
Ohio. April 25 1989. Piezoelectric Transducer

TRAFFIC

TR1 R.M. Tyburski. ITE Journal, August 1989. A Review of Road Sensor Technology for
Monitoring Vehicle Traffic

TR3 W. Cunagin, A. Grubbs Automated Acquisition of Truck Tire

Pressure Data

TR5 S. Majdi; W. Cunagin, Texas Trans. Inst.; Nat'l Traffic Data Piezoelectric Film Technology
Acquisition Tech. Conf., Austin, TX; 8/31/90

TR6 R.C. Moore, Transport and Road Res. Lab, UK. Piezo-electric Axle Load Sensors.

ULTRASOUND

U1 C. Alquie, J. Lewiner & C. Friedman (Paris). Applied Piezoelectric Electret Transducers for
Physics Letters. 29(2). July 15, 1976. Ultrasonic Generation and Detection Up to
Microwave Frequencies.

U2 A.S. DeReggi, S.C. Roth et al. (NBS). J. Acoust, Soc. Am. Piezoelectric Polymer Probe for Ultrasonic
69(3), March 1981. Applications.

U4 J. Schoenwald & J.F. Martin 1983. Ultrasonics PV2 Transducer for Acoustic Ranging and
Symposium. Imaging in Air.

U13 G.M. Garner. Plessey Research & Technology. Research A Short Range Ultrasonic Detector.
Review 88.

U15 A. Fiorillo, P. Dario, J. Vander Spiegel, C. Domenick, J. Spinned P(VDF-TrFE) Copolymer Layer
Foo, 1987 Ultrasonics Symposium V2. pp 667-670 for a Silicon-Piezoelectric Integrated US
Transducer

U16 P. H. Brown, Thorn EMI Central Research Laboratories Ultrasonic Imaging with an Electric Beam
Scanned PFDF Sensor

U21 F. Harnisch, Elotech GmgH; N. Kroemer, W. Manthey, Ultrasonic Transducers with Piezoelectric
Technical University. Sensors and Actuators A. 25-27 Polymer Foil
(1991) pp. 549-552

Page 74
U22 E. Carome, K. Fesler, J. Shaw, D. Weinstein, L. Zitelli; PVF2 Surface Wave Transducers
Edward L. Ginzton Lab, Stanford Univ; 1979 Ultrasonics
Symposium

U23 R. Wagers, Central Research Labs, TI, Dallas; 1979 Saw Transduction on Silicon Substrates
Ultrasonics Symposium with PVF2 Films

U24 R.G. Swartz & J.D. Plummer (Stanford). IEEE On the Generation of High-Frequency
Transactions and Ultrasonics. SU-27(6) November 1980. Acoustic Energy with Polyvinylidene
Fluoride.

U25 F. Mattiocco, E. Dieulesaint, D. Royer. Electronics Letters PVF2 Transducers for Rayleigh Waves.
16(7). March 27, 1980.

U27 K. Park, M. Toda, AMP Flexible Film Sensors, Valley Piezo Film Ultrasound Distance
Forge, PA. April 1992 Transducer for Automobile Obstacle
Detection Applications

U28 Lewis Brown, Joel Mason Disposable PVDF Ultrasonic Transducers

For Nondestructive Testing Applications

U30 U.S. Patent 5,442,592 August 15, 1995. Minoru Toda, Ultrasonic Distance Meter
Kyung Park.

U32 Antonio Fiorillo. IEEE Transactions on Ultrasonics, Design and Characterization of a PVDF
Ferroelectrics and Frequency Control, Vol 39, No 6, Ultrasonic Range Sensor
November 1992
U33 Lewis Brown, David Carlson Ultrasound Transducer Models for
Piezoelectric Polymer Films

VIBRATION AND ACCELERATION

VA1 T. Bailey & J.E. Hubbard, Jr. (MIT). Unpublished paper. Distributed Piezoelectric-Polymer Active
Vibration Control of a Cantilever Beam.

VA8 E. Tom, R.Bowman, D. McGovern. 1986 Carnahan Conf. Ferroelectric Sensor Technology
on Security Technology May 14, 1986 Development, Intrusion Detection Using
Ferroelectric Sensor Technology.

VA10 Richard H. Brown, Pennwalt Piezo Film Group, Edinburgh. New Techniques for Model Analysis.

VA11 J.E. Hubbard, Jr., The Charles Draper Laboratory. Distributed Transducers for Smart
Structural Components.

VA15 Research Report C.K. Lee, IBM and F.C. Moon, Cornell Laminated Piezopolymer Plates for Torsion
University. and Bending Sensors and Actuators.

VA19 Richard H Brown, Pennwalt Piezo Film Ltd. Piezo Film, Form and Function.

Page 75
VA22 C.K. Lee, IBM Research Div. Intern'l Conf. on Adv. Theory of Laminated Piezopolymer Plates
Mechatronics, Tokyo May 21-24 1989. for Torsional and Bending Control.

VA24 C.K. Lee, W.W.. Chiang, and T.C. O'Sullivan. Almaden Piezoelectric Modal Sensors and Actuators
Research Centre. IBM ACCESS Vol III. No.3 1989. Achieving Critical Active Damping on a
Cantilever Plate.

VA35 J. Plump, Dr. J. Hubbard, Jr. (M.I.T.), T. Bailey, (Draper Nonlinear Control of a Distributed System:
Laboratories); ASME Winter Annual Meeting 1985 Simulation and Experimental Results

VA36 D. W. Miller, S. A. Collins, S. P. Peltzman (M.I.T.); 31st Development of Spatially Convolving

AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS Structures, Structural Dynamics & Sensors for Structural Control Applications
Matls Conf, Long Beach, CA 4/2-4/90; pp 2283-2297

VA37 S. W. Sirlin, Caltech; AAS/AIAA Astrodynamics Specialist Piezoelectric Polymer-Based Isolation

Conf. Aug 10-13, 1987 Mount for Articulated Pointing Systems on
Large Flexible Aircraft

VA39 S. Collins, C. Padilla, et al. AIAA/ASME/ASCE/AHS Design, Manufacture and Application to

Structures, Structural Dyn. & Matls Conf Apr 2-4, 1990 Space Robotics of Distributed Piezoelectric
Film Sensors

VA40 Prof. A. H. von Flotow, Charles Stark Draper, November, A Solid State Heliogyro
1989 (A PVDF Application)

VA43 C. K. Lee, T. C. O'SUllivan, IBM Res. Div. San Jose, CA, Piezoelectric Strain Rate Gages
Research Rpt RJ 7636 (71083) 8/14/90

VA47 S. J. Kim, H. D. Jones; Ray W. Herrick Laboratories, Sch. Optimization of Piezo-

of Mech. Engrg., Purdue University, W. Lafayette, IN Actuator/Substructure Coupling for Active
Noise and Vibration Control

VA48 NASA Lewis Research Center, June 1992 Active Umbilical System for Microgravity
Experiments (Piezo-PVDF Actuator Design
Concept)

VA49 W. Nitsche, P. Mirow, T. Dorfler, ICIASF '89 Record, Res. Application of Piezoelectric Foils in
Ctr Gottingen, W. Germany, 9/18-21, 1989 (IEEE Pub Experimental Aerodynamics
89CH2762-3)

VA50 W. Nitsche, J. Szodruch, ICAS paper 90-6.1.4, 17th ICAS Concepts and Results for Laminar Flow
Congress, Stockholm, Sept, 1990 Research in Wind Tunnel & Flight
Experiments

VA51 W. Nitsche, P. Mirow, T. Dorfler, Berlin; Proceedings of Application of Piezoelectric Foils in

ICIASF '89, Research Center Gottingen, W. Germany, Experimental Aerodynamics
9/18-21/1989

VA52 D. Tasker, P. Gustavson, W. Wilson, Naval Surface A PVDF Trigger and Tilt Detector for
Warfare Center, Res & Tech Dept. NAVSWCTR91-640, Projectile Impact Experiments
November 1991
Page 76
VA55 C.K. Lee. Intelligent Structural Systems Piezoelectric Laminates: Theory and
Experiments for Distributed Sensors and
Actuators

VA56 Preliminary Piezo Film/Rail Assessment

VA57 U.S. Patent. 4,869,101 Sept 26, 1989. James Dvorsky Texture Softness Sensing
Batelle Memorial Institute

VA59 C.K. Lee, F.C. Moon. Journal of Applied Mechanics June Modal Sensors/Actuators
1990, Vol 112

VA60 James E. Hubbard Jr, Calvin Lowe. December 1995 The Active Vibration Control of A
Charles Stark Draper Laboratory, Inc. Cantilever Beam Using PVF2 In A
Simulated Space Environment.

VA61 Ki Won Yoon, Seung Jo Kim, Seoul Nat’l University; Active Control of Sound Fields in Plate-
Wie Dae Kim, Pusan Nat’l University Cavity System By Anisotropic Piezoelectric
Polymers

Page 77
APPENDIX C -- APPLICATION NOTES

Page 78
 Piezoelectric Polymer Speakers Application Note 1242138
1 Aug 98 Rev A

INTRODUCTION
A loudspeaker is a transducer which transforms electrical signals into acoustic sound. Conventional speakers
usually consist of a vibrating surface (called a diaphragm) and a driving units which is, in most cases, a voice
coil driven by a magnetomotive force or a piezoelectric ceramic actuator. In piezoelectric polymer speakers,
the active driving element and the air-pushing diaphragm are combined into a single unit. Utilizing the
piezoelectric effect of polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) material and the flexibility of the polymer film, a unique
speaker can be formed from PVDF which vibrates under the stimulus of an AC electric field applied to the
surface electrodes on the film.
There are two principal types of loudspeakers. The first uses a vibrating surface to radiate sound directly into
the air. The second uses an acoustic element (a horn, e.g.) which is inserted between the diaphragm and the
air. The direct radiator type is used most often in small radios, residential, and automotive stereo systems.
The horn type is used in high fidelity systems, large sound systems for auditoriums and theaters, and outdoor
music and PA systems. Here we will only discuss piezo polymer speakers for direct radiating systems. The
uses and effects will be discussed in a separate application note.
SPEAKER STRUCTURE
An extremely crude speaker element can be created by simply hanging a sheet of piezo polymer film in air
and applying an AC electrical signal. Sound will emanate from the film and its audio characteristics will vary
as you flex and bend the film in different directions. Although this demonstrates basic operation, the
performance is marginal and unpredictable at best. By controlling the shape of the film and the support
structure of the mounting, a very acceptable speaker can be created.
Please refer to Figure 1. A simple speaker design consists of two parts. The first is the vibrating PVDF
diaphragm and the second is the speaker enclosure and support structure. Because PVDF film is anisotropic
in its surface piezoelectric parameters, it is important to orient the film properly in this design. The maximum
displacement per volt applied is along the machine direction (or “1” direction) of the film. As such, the highest
acoustic output is achieved when the machine direction is oriented in the length L direction. The width W is
perpendicular to the machine direction and the total height of the speaker consists of the enclosure depth H2
and the film height H1.
The function of the enclosure is to isolate the front side of the film from the rear side. The film is curved in
one direction (the direction of highest piezoelectric activity) and clamped rigidly onto each end of the
enclosure. The curvature of the film is maintained by the sides of the enclosure. When a voltage is applied
to the film electrodes, it creates a mechanical strain in the film in both the normal direction and in-plane active
direction. Because the film is very thin, the strain in the normal direction is negligible. However, the larger
displacement caused by in-plane strains is converted
to radial motion along the radius of curvature and W

perpendicular to the film surface.

STRETCH

PIEZO FILM

ENCLOSURE

H2

L
W H1
R

Figure 1

Page 79
 Piezoelectric Polymer Speakers Application Note 1242138

Because of the curvature, the film surface basically moves in and out of the enclosure. The large film area
effectively couples acoustic energy into the surrounding air. This speaker design has very good high
frequency characteristics. The acoustic output is constant for frequencies up to 20 kHz.
Sound pressure levels at a specified distance, and the frequency response curves of a piezoelectric polymer
speaker can be analytically calculated by solving the wave equation for a curved plate in conjunction with the
electro-mechanical equations of piezoelectricity.
The calculations involve the size and shape of the film element, amplitude of the driving signal, piezoelectric
properties and dielectric and mechanical loss properties of PVDF film materials, radiation impedance effects,
and the mass loading effects of the electrode materials, among other parameters. MSI has developed a
computer program to obtain numerical results from a wide variety of parameters. Because of the
complexities, the details of these calculations will not be presented here. Discussed below, however, are the
effects of key structure parameters on the acoustic performance of a typical speaker design.
DESIGN PARAMETERS
PVDF FILM THICKNESS - Piezoelectric film is available in various thickness’. Standard thickness’ from MSI
are 28 µM, 52 µM, and 110 µM. Other thickness’ are available on a special order basis. The sound pressure
level produced by a piezo polymer speaker at a certain distance is directly proportional to the applied electric
field strength. Therefore, for a given voltage, in principle, the thinner the film, the higher the sound pressure
produced. Sound Pressure Level (SPL) is usually used to measure the output performance of a speaker and
is defined by the following equation:
P
SPL  20 log10 (dB)
Pref
P is sound pressure at a certain distance
from the speaker and Pref = 2 x 10-5 Pascal. Reducing the film thickness by half will generate a 6 dB increase
in SPL. However, reducing film thickness will increase the capacitance of the speaker element, resulting in a
higher current draw from the power amplifier (this will be discussed later). The use of thinner films can also
cause deformation of the film curvature especially for speakers requiring large area of PVDF film. This
deformation of curvature can cause irregularities in the frequency response curve.
CURVATURE OF PIEZOELECTRIC POLYMER FILM - The curvature radius of a film speaker is an important
parameter for determining the frequency range of the speaker. For a rough estimation, the low frequency
cutoff of a speaker is proportional to the square root of the ratio of Young’s modulus of PVDF film to its
density, and inversely proportional to the radius of curvature. Substituting the material property parameters,
this low frequency can be estimated by the following equation:
21 53
fJ kHz  kHz
R (cm) R(inch)

R is the radius of curvature and f is the low frequency corner. See Figure 2. Note that the above equation
does not take the mass loading effect of the electrodes into consideration. When the PVDF film is thin and
heavy electrode materials such as silver ink are used, the above equation should be modified.

Page 80
 Piezoelectric Polymer Speakers Application Note 1242138

L=5cm W=5cm DISTANCE=1M

120

110

100
R=5cm
SPL (dB)

90 R=10cm
R=20cm
80 R=30cm

70

60

100 1000 10,000 100,000

FREQUENCY (Hz)

Figure 2

In the design of a piezo polymer speaker, the curvature of the film needs to be considered along with other
structural parameters. For example, for a small area speaker, especially with a short length L, a large radius
makes the film close to a flat plane, resulting in a lower acoustic output. On the other hand, for a large area
speaker, a small radius makes the speaker deeper which requires a larger space.
Changing the radius not only controls the cutoff frequency, but also affects the sound pressure level at certain
distances from the speaker. Figure 3a shows the relationship between low frequency corner and radius of
curvature. Figure 3b shows the relationship between SPL at 10 kHz and radius of curvature for the same
speaker. As seen from the graphs, the cutoff frequency and SPL are both inversely proportional to the radius.

LOW FREQ CORNER (Hz) SPL(dB)

100

4000 95

3000 90

2000 85

1000 80

75
0 10 20 30 40 0 10 20 30 40
RADIUS (cm) RADIUS (cm)

Figure 3a Figure 3b

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 Piezoelectric Polymer Speakers Application Note 1242138

LENGTH AND WIDTH OF SPEAKER FILMS - The acoustic output of a PVDF speaker is directly related to
the length and width dimensions which are, in turn, determined by each different application. The sound
pressure generated by a speaker at a certain distance is linearly proportional to the active area of PVDF film.
Therefore, SPL is a logarithmic function of the PVDF film dimensions if the speaker area is rectangular.
Figures 4a & 4b show the relation between SPL and film length and width respectively at 10 kHz.

Figure 4a Figure 4b

POWER CONSIDERATIONS
In order to obtain a significant displacement from PVDF film to radiate sound, a high voltage is usually
required. A step-up audio transformer can be used to increase the output voltage of an audio amplifier. The
designer should give consideration to the electrical properties of the PVDF film speaker and the capabilities of
the audio amplifier when selecting or designing the transformer. The input/output voltage ratio is directly
proportional to the primary/secondary turns ratio of a transformer:
Vsec Nsec

Vpri Npri
The primary/secondary impedance ratio is proportional to the square of the turns ratio. The transformer must
have an output impedance that is equal to or less than the PVDF film impedance at the highest specified
frequency. If these impedances are not matched, significant distortion may result.
Conventional speakers present a resistive load to the power amplifier output while a PVDF film speaker
presents a capacitive load to the output. Because of this the piezo film speaker impedance changes with
frequency. For a 28 µm thick film with an area of 10 cm X 10 cm, the typical capacitance is about 35 nF. In
the high frequency audio range, the impedance of such a speaker is quite low resulting in a high current draw
from the amplifier. This current is about 90 degrees out of phase with the voltage applied to the PVDF film.
With the high applied voltage and large current at higher frequencies, the apparent power, defined as the
transformer output current times the voltage applied to the PVDF film, is somewhat higher when compared to
conventional speakers. This power issue needs to be considered when choosing amplifiers and transformers.
Because of the capacitive nature of a PVDF film speaker, an electrical resonance is introduced when using a
transformer. This resonance should be avoided within the frequency range of interest or carefully damped.

PRACTICAL DESIGN TIPS FOR SPEAKERS

A reasonably good tweeter can be made using the basic design shown in Figure 1. Keeping the film smooth
and wrinkle free will reduce distortion and provide a flat frequency response. The support should also be as
rigid as possible to maximize the film surface displacement.

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 Piezoelectric Polymer Speakers Application Note 1242138

The lead attachment area should not be on the PVDF film radiating surface because any non-uniformity in the
radiating element can be a source for distortion of air cavity. Filling the enclosure with a sound absorbing
materials such as fiberglass or absorbing foams will reduce resonances and improve the sound quality. The
enclosure should be made as rigid as possible to reduce structural resonances.
APPLICATIONS AND ADVANTAGES
Piezoelectric polymer speakers can be made in just about any imaginable shape or size. Square or
rectangular elements can be sized to fit any available space. Wide horizontal or vertical dispersion angles can
be obtained by wrapping the film in a 180 degree or 360 degree shape. The film can form a stand alone
speaker element or can be laminated or attached to other structures to become an integrated speaker. A
single film held in a shape with different curvatures in different areas of the film can provide unusual and
unique frequency response characteristics. Piezo film speakers have the advantages of flat frequency
response, high sound quality, low weight, flexible form factor, low cost, and ease of manufacturability. PVDF
film speakers have a wide range of applications including home stereo, home theater, automotive, personal
stereo, multi-media, and stereo headphones.

SAMPLE SPECIFICATION
PARAMETER VALUE
Frequency Range 3.5 kHz - 20 kHz
SPL @ 40 cm 105 dB +/- 5 dB
Drive Voltage 125 V
Enclosure Dimensions
rms

13 cm X 11 cm X 6 cm
Radius of Curvature 7 cm
PVDF Thickness 52 µM
PVDF Capacitance 24 nF

********

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 DISCUSSION OF ULTRASONIC INK LEVEL SENSING

Q: What is MSI’s concept for detecting low ink level?

A: Right now, ink level in an ink-jet print cartridge can be measured using resistance (if the ink is partially
conductive), or can be estimated by simply counting the number of droplets ejected. There are situations
where neither approach will work – when the ink does not contain carbon, or where the cartridge is
replaceable separately from the print head. MSI has based their approach on other work involving high-
frequency ultrasound, and propose a kind of ultrasonic switch for each chamber of the cartridge. This “switch”
would be a small patch of piezoelectric polymer, stuck onto the outside of the cartridge, which can send and
receive an ultrasonic pulse into the wall. If the ink level is above the point where the patch is located, then
most of the ultrasonic signal will travel on into the ink, and only a weak echo returns to the sensor. If the ink
level is below the patch, then most of the signal returns, and the echo is strong. A simple voltage threshold is
used to detect which condition exists.

Q: Sounds easy. What’s the catch?

A: The basic principle is pretty straightforward, and has been demonstrated in the lab using electronics
based on readily available discrete components. We know it has to be a low-cost solution, both for the sensor
and the associated electronics. The integration of the electronics into an ASIC should be quite practical. The
operating frequency of the device is high (about 20 MHZ) and we need some gain (+40 dB seems likely) – but
the development of mobile phones and high capacity hard disk drives has made this requirement seem quite
realistic. Our biggest challenge is, quite simply, fixing the sensor onto the wall. If we don’t achieve good
consistency in this area, the sensor would not be reliable. It is unlikely that MSI will be doing this part of the
assembly, so we need to work together to make sure that the process works.

Q: What about multiple chambers in a single cartridge? I’m interested in monitoring color
cartridges.
A: Obviously, we could arrange separate sensors for each chamber. With our piezo film technology, this is
easy since we can form independent patterns on a single piece of film. So an arrangement with three active
signal electrodes, and a common ground, would work well – but this would require four contacts, and some
mutiplexing on the receiver amplifier input.

At this point, we began to think of ways to combine three sensors (for example) into a single, extended one,
to simplify the interconnection and the associated electronics.

The obvious possibility is to treat the three separate walls as if they were one, allowing the three echoes to
“add up” on arrival. If any one out of the three echoes were to increase in amplitude (as the ink level fell
below the sensing point), we could detect this and flag the condition. This sounds fine until we consider the
influence of tolerances on the echo amplitude. The basic piezoelectric coefficients of our material don’t vary
much along the length of a roll of film, but we would need to consider roll to roll variation, temperature
influence on sensitivity, adhesive bonding variations, adhesive property temperature variations, wall
tolerances on thickness and parallelism, and the variation of these with temperature.

Q: It’s beginning to sound “risky”. What is the basic signal/noise ratio?

A: Typically around +10 dB amplitude change, from ink to air on the inside of the wall. The precise value
depends on the wall material, and slightly on the ink composition. But if we allow ± 3 dB on the starting level
to cover all tolerance ranges, then add up three return echoes, we don’t think we would have a very good
“switch”!

That’s why we exploited another concept we originally developed for a different kind of liquid level sensor –
creating different path lengths for the ultrasonic signal for each chamber. This would simply be done by
arranging fractional differences in the wall thickness of each chamber. This separates the three returning
echoes so they arrive one after another, with approximately equal amplitude. We still have a tolerance
associated with the amplitudes, but they don’t add, and a single threshold should suffice to detect any one out
of the three going “dry”. The same principle applies for any number of chambers (within reason!).

Q: How much thickness change is required for each chamber?

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A: Difficult to say, before we optimize many of the variables, but 0.2 to 0.5 Mr. & Mrs. steps look practical
right now. So 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 Mr. & Mrs. walls would certainly work – if necessary, the imbalance in internal
volume could be made up by adding or subtracting material elsewhere in the chamber. The step size could
be smaller, if we push for “perfect” ultrasonic waveform and possibly higher frequency.

Q: My cartridges have sponges inside. Will this affect the performance?

A: We believe not. It seems so far that a dry sponge looks just like air, and a wet sponge just like ink. It
really is quite difficult to get good ultrasonic coupling at 20 MHZ frequency, and the dry sponge simply lying in
contact with the wall does not, as far as we can tell, absorb any of the ultrasonic energy at the interface. Even
pushing a solid, flat block of polymer against the inside wall doesn’t affect the signal unless a significant
amount of force is applied, or liquid is allowed to penetrate into the gap.

Q: It sounds like the fixing of the sensor onto the wall is going to be quite a challenge!
A: The ideal case would be a very thin layer of liquid adhesive, which then cured to reach a hard state –
epoxy works great! But we appreciate that a liquid process may not prove acceptable in production. We
may be able to procure an off-the-shelf “transfer adhesive” (in tape form) which we can laminate to our film
during our production cycle. Alternatively, we may need to enter into a dialog with a tape converter who
could develop and apply a coating (with release liner) onto our film.

We envisage supplying reels of self-adhesive “labels”, kiss-cut to allow easy application onto cartridges.

Q: I understand the principle of the sensor. Now, how do we connect to this “label”?
A: We’re working on this! One possibility is lightly-sprung contacts, which would be brought into contact
only when the cartridge is at rest. Our electrode surface will be either sputtered metallization (around 500 a
thick) or printed silver ink (about 7 µm), so we don’t think a wiping contact would be appropriate. Another
possibility is capacitive coupling, if we can arrange some reasonable area of electrode surface (for both
signal and ground tracks) to come into proximity with a similar arrangement fixed to the printer. There would
be further signal losses, and probably additional tolerance variations, if this method were adopted. This is
partly a cost issue – if we add too much area to the sensor just for capacitive coupling, the cost of this
inactive area may jeopardize the economics of the whole solution.

The connection scheme also has to take into account the physical layout and practicalities of the printer
itself. We can’t design the solution in a vacuum – we need input from both the mechanical and electronic
design teams responsible for the printer.

Q: Where should the interface electronics be located? Can I integrate these into an ASIC on the
main pcb?
A: We think so. The sensor will be designed to have as low an impedance as practical at the operating
frequency – ideally 50 ohms. Although we have, in theory, a small “antenna” connected to the gain stage, in
practice we don’t see noise pick-up as being a major problem. Shielded cable, or “gnd-sig-gnd” coplanar
wiring would be preferred for carrying the signals over any significant distance within the printer. Our
measurement process should only take a few microseconds, so it is possible that a “quiet time” (as far as
intentional digital or control activity is concerned) could be selected to make the measurement. Noise
radiation and immunity would need to be considered and reviewed throughout the design process.

Q: What control do I have over the “switching point”?

A: The placement of the sensor, of course, dictates the basic depth of ink where the “switch” will change
state. Ideally, the active electrode area would be a narrow horizontal line. In practice, we prefer to use a
rectangular element to increase the capacitance of the sensor (which allows better matching to practical
electronics). The “switching point” will nominally occur at the vertical midpoint of the sensor. A “height” in
the region of 5 to 10 Mr. & Mrs. appears likely for the overall “label”, so the lowest sensing depth may be 2.5
to 5.0 Mr. & Mrs. Temperature effects may vary the apparent location of this switching point, but worst-case
uncertainty would be determined by the active electrode height.

Q: What factors would MSI wish to influence in my cartridge design?

A: The base material has an influence on the effectiveness of the solution. Some polymers (such as
Nylon and acetyl) have high attenuation in the ultrasonic region. A close match of acoustic impedance

Page 85
(speed of sound x density) to the ink would be preferred. Given several choices, we would evaluate and
select the most favorable.

The wall thickness(es) have already been discussed, but it is also important to have the best possible
parallelism at the sensing area. We appreciate that a finite draw angle is required for the moulding process,
but if this can be minimized in the region of interest, then it makes our job much easier.

Smooth surfaces (outside and inside) work best – a spark-eroded on the outside surface would make
ultrasonic coupling extremely difficult.

Q: I’m interested. How do we proceed?

A: We would split up the development effort into phases. Before commencing, we would seek to
establish performance and economic targets for the solution, including timescales for the various stages of
effort.

As a guideline, MSI would propose the following:

In Phase 1, MSI would build and supply concept demonstration units based on available cartridge
samples, using discrete electronics. These units would not be qualified for temperature dependence or
noise immunity, nor would the transducers or electronics be optimized, but they would serve as a
discussion point when considering future effort. Basic performance would be documented in the form of a
brief engineering report, together with candidate interconnection schemes and their characteristics.

Phase 2 would involve investigations into candidate adhesive systems and processing, study of
temperature and other environmental effects on transducer performance, preparation of budgetary
estimates for production equipment design and procurement, budgetary estimates of unit cost in production
volumes. A series of prototype transducers would be supplied for customer evaluation and qualification.

A separate (perhaps parallel) effort may be required to qualify the selected interconnection scheme. This
is highly dependent upon specific details of the printer design, and it is possible that this effort may best be
performed by the printer manufacturer.

Phase 3 would lead towards product launch, including the design and procurement of production tooling.

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