An investigation of the effect of poling conditions on the characteristics of screen‐printed piezoceramics

A study of the effect of poling conditions on screen‐printed piezoceramics was undertaken. Printable pastes were produced, using a commercially available lead zirconate titanate (PZT) powder, mixed with two types of binder, lead (II) oxide and a lead borosilicate glass. Sample devices were fabricated using the two paste types and processed, using standard thick film techniques, before being poled under varying conditions. Samples were compared by measurement of piezoelectric charge constant, d₃₃ and using scanning electron microscopy techniques. Temperature and time are shown to increase poling efficiency, while poling field reaches an optimum at 2‐3 MV m^‐1. The PZT layers start to fail through a process of dielectric breakdown at fields of 3.5 MV m^‐1 and above.