Mechanical failure dependence on the electrical history of lead zirconate titanate thin films

Piezoelectric micromechanical systems (piezoMEMS) are often subjected to harsh mechanical and electrical loads during operation. This study evaluates the effects of history a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) layer on electro-mechanical response structural limits multilayer stacks. Electro-mechanical characterization was performed under biaxial bending employing Ball-on-three Balls (B3B) test virgin, poled, DC biased (80 kV/cm) samples. No significant effect characteristic strength or Weibull modulus stack observed. However, crack initiation stress highest for virgin samples (σ0 ∼ 485 ± 30 MPa); this decreased both poled 410 MPa), measured 80 kV/cm 433 MPa). in situ εr loss tangent measurements suggested electromechanical loading conditions can destabilize domain structure. Overall, reduce PZT film’s fracture resistance.