Piezoelectric Ceramics Characterization

This review explores piezoelectric ceramics analysis and characterization. The focus is on polycrystalline ceramics; therefore, single crystals, polymeric materials and organic/inorganic composites are outside the scope of this review. To thoroughly grasp the behavior of a piezoelectric polycrystalline ceramic, a basic understanding of the ceramic itself should not be overlooked. To this end, we have presented a brief introduction of the history of piezoelectricity and a discussion on processing of the ceramic and development of the constitutive relations that define the behavior of a piezoelectric material. We have attempted to cover the most common measurement methods as well as introduce parameters of interest. Excellent sources for more in-depth coverage of specific topics can be found in the bibliography. In most cases, we refer to lead zirconate titanate (PZT) to illustrate some of the concepts since it is the most widely used and studied piezoelectric ceramic to date.