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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2018

Tuning piezoelectric properties through epitaxy of La 2 Ti 2 O 7 and related thin films

Current piezoelectric sensors and actuators are limited to operating temperatures less than ~200ºC due to the low Curie temperature of the piezoelectric material. The strengthening the piezoelectric coupling of high-temperature piezoelectric materials, such as La 2 Ti 2 O 7 (LTO), would allow sensors to operate across a broad temperature range. The crystalline orientation and piezoelectric coupling direction of LTO thin films can be controlled by epitaxial matching to SrTiO 3 (001), SrTiO 3 (110), and rutile TiO 2 (110) substrates via pulsed laser deposition. The structure and phase purity of the films are investigated by x-ray diffraction and scanning transmission electron microscopy. Piezoresponse force microscopy is used to measure the in-plane and out-of-plane piezoelectric coupling in the films. The strength of the out-of-plane piezoelectric coupling can be increased when the piezoelectric direction is rotated partially out-of-plane via epitaxy. The strongest out-of-plane coupling is observed for LTO/STO(001). Deposition on TiO 2 (110) results in epitaxial La 2/3 TiO 3 , an orthorhombic perovskite of interest as a microwave dielectric material and an ion conductor. La 2/3 TiO 3 can be difficult to stabilize in bulk form, and epitaxial stabilization on TiO 2 (110) is a promising route to realize La 2/3 TiO 3 for both fundamental studies and device applications. Overall, these results confirm that control of the crystalline orientation of epitaxial LTO-based materials can govern the resulting functional properties.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

The origin of ultrahigh piezoelectricity in relaxor-ferroelectric solid solution crystals

The discovery of ultrahigh piezoelectricity in relaxor-ferroelectric solid solution single crystals is a breakthrough in ferroelectric materials. A key signature of relaxor-ferroelectric solid solutions is the existence of polar nanoregions, a nanoscale inhomogeneity, that coexist with normal ferroelectric domains. Despite two decades of extensive studies, the contribution of polar nanoregions to the underlying piezoelectric properties of relaxor ferroelectrics has yet to be established. Here we quantitatively characterize the contribution of polar nanoregions to the dielectric/piezoelectric responses of relaxor-ferroelectric crystals using a combination of cryogenic experiments and phase-field simulations. The contribution of polar nanoregions to the room-temperature dielectric and piezoelectric properties is in the range of 50–80%. A mesoscale mechanism is proposed to reveal the origin of the high piezoelectricity in relaxor ferroelectrics, where the polar nanoregions aligned in a ferroelectric matrix can facilitate polarization rotation. This mechanism emphasizes the critical role of local structure on the macroscopic properties of ferroelectric materials.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Theory-Guided Synthesis of a Metastable Lead-Free Piezoelectric Polymorph

Many technologically critical materials are metastable under ambient conditions, yet the understanding of how to rationally design and guide the synthesis of these materials is limited. This paper presents an integrated approach that targets a metastable lead-free piezoelectric polymorph of SrHfO 3 . First-principles calculations predict that the previous experimentally unrealized, metastable P4mm phase of SrHfO 3 should exhibit a direct piezoelectric response (d 33 ) of 36.9 pC N -1 (compared to d 33 = 0 for the ground state). Combining computationally optimized substrate selection and synthesis conditions lead to the epitaxial stabilization of the polar P4mm phase of SrHfO 3 on SrTiO 3 . The films are structurally consistent with the theory predictions. A ferroelectric-induced large signal effective converse piezoelectric response of 5.2 pm V -1 for a 35 nm film is observed, indicating the ability to predict and target multifunctionality. Finally, this illustrates a coupled theory-experimental approach to the discovery and realization of new multifunctional polymorphs.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2016

Influence of piezoelectric strain on the Raman spectra of BiFeO 3 films deposited on PMN-PT substrates

In this study, BiFeO 3 epitaxial thin films were deposited on piezoelectric 0.72Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 -0.28PbTiO 3 (PMN-PT) substrates with a conductive buffer layer (La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 or SrRuO 3 ) using pulsed laser deposition. The calibration of the strain values induced by the electric field applied on the piezoelectric PMN-PT substrates was realised using X-Ray diffraction measurements. The method of piezoelectrically induced strain allows to obtain a quantitative correlation between strain and the shift of the Raman-active phonons, ruling out the influence of extrinsic factors, such as growth conditions, crystalline quality of substrates, or film thickness. Using the Poisson number for BiFeO 3 one can determine the volume change induced by strain, and therefore the Gr neisen parameters for specific phonon modes.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2023

Boosting Piezoelectricity by 3D Printing PVDF‐MoS 2 Composite as a Conformal and High‐Sensitivity Piezoelectric Sensor

Abstract Additively manufactured flexible and high‐performance piezoelectric devices are highly desirable for sensing and energy harvesting of 3D conformal structures. Herein, the study reports a significantly enhanced piezoelectricity in polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) achieved through the in situ dipole alignment of PVDF within PVDF‐2D molybdenum disulfide (2D MoS 2 ) composite by 3D printing. The shear stress‐induced dipole poling of PVDF and 2D MoS 2 alignment are harnessed during 3D printing to boost piezoelectricity without requiring a post‐poling process. The results show a remarkable, more than the eight‐fold increment in the piezoelectric coefficient ( d 33 ) for 3D printed PVDF‐8wt.% MoS 2 composite over cast neat PVDF. The underlying mechanism of piezoelectric property enhancement is attributed to the increased volume fraction of β phase in PVDF, filler fraction, heterogeneous strain distribution around PVDF‐MoS 2 interfaces, and strain transfer to the nanofillers as confirmed by microstructural analysis and finite element simulation. These results provide a promising route to design and fabricate high‐performance 3D piezoelectric devices via 3D printing for next‐generation sensors and mechanical–electronic conformal devices.

2D MoS2↗
DOE OSTI2016

Hydrothermal crystal growth, piezoelectricity, and triboluminescence of KNaNbOF{sub 5}

Single crystals of the noncentrosymmetric KNaNbOF{sub 5} polymorph were grown for piezoelectric and triboluminescent measurements. Piezoelectric measurements yielded a d{sub 33} value of ±6.3 pCN{sup −1} and an effective electromechanical coupling coefficient of up to 0.1565 in the frequency range 1960–2080 kHz. Crystals of KNaNbOF{sub 5} were found to exhibit a strong triboluminscence effect visible to the naked eye as blue sparks when crystals are crushed. This triboluminescence effect is uncommon in that it is likely independent from both the piezoelectric effect and atmospheric electrical discharge. Instead, triboluminescence may originate from crystal defects or be related to an electroluminescence effect. - Graphical abstract: An optical emission visible to the naked eye as blue sparks is observed when KNaNbOF{sub 5} single crystals are fractured. - Highlights: • Single crystals of KNaNbOF{sub 5} were grown under hydrothermal conditions. • Piezoelectric and triboluminescent properties were characterized. • Piezoelectric measurements yielded a d{sub 33} value of ±pCN{sup −1}. • KNaNbOF{sub 5} exhibits strong triboluminscence visible to the naked eye as blue sparks.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2020

Multi-Level Information Storage Using Engineered Electromechanical Resonances of Piezoelectric Wafers: A Concept Piezoelectric Quick Response (PQR) Code

A piezoelectric-based method for information storage is presented. It involves engineering the polarization profiles of multiple piezoelectric wafers to enhance/suppress specific electromechanical resonances. These enhanced/suppressed resonances can be used to represent multiple frequency-dependent bits, thus enabling multi-level information storage. This multi-level information storage is demonstrated by achieving three information states for a ternary encoding. Using the three information states, we present an approach to encode and decode information from a 2-by-3 array of piezoelectric wafers that we refer to as a concept Piezoelectric Quick Response (PQR) code. The scaling relation between the number of wafers used and the cumulative number of information states that can be achieved with the proposed methodology is briefly discussed. Potential applications of this methodology include tamper-evident devices, embedded product tags in manufacturing/inventory tracking, and additional layers of security with existing information storage technologies.

47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION↗
DOE OSTI2018

Reactive sputter deposition of piezoelectric Sc 0.12 Al 0.88 N for contour mode resonators

Substitution of Al by Sc has been predicted and demonstrated to improve the piezoelectric response in AlN for commercial market applications in radio frequency filter technologies. Although cosputtering with multiple targets have achieved Sc incorporation in excess of 40%, industrial processes requiring stable single target sputtering are currently limited. A major concern with sputter deposition of ScAl is the control over the presence of non-c-axis oriented crystal growth, referred to as inclusions here, while simultaneously controlling film stress for suspended microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) structures. This work describes 12.5% ScAl single target reactive sputter deposition process and establishes a direct relationship between the inclusion occurrences and compressive film stress allowing for the suppression of the c-axis instability on silicon (100) and Ti/TiN/AlCu seeding layers. An initial high film stress, for suppressing inclusions, is then balanced with a lower film stress deposition to control total film stress to prevent Euler buckling of suspended MEMS devices. Contour mode resonators fabricated using these films demonstrate effective coupling coefficients up to 2.7% with figures of merit of 42. Furthermore, this work provides a method to establish inclusion free films in ScAlN piezoelectric films for good quality factor devices.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2024

Phase-field-guided design of record-high piezoelectricity and discovery of simultaneous high light transparency and high piezoelectricity in relaxor ferroelectrics

Here, the phase-field method has been extensively applied to predicting the domain structures and their responses to external fields and understanding experimentally observed domain states under different electromechanical conditions in ferroelectric heterostructures. This article highlights the successful examples of phase-field applications in guiding the design of relaxor ferroelectric ceramics and crystals with record-high piezoelectricity and the discovery of simultaneous high light transparency and piezoelectricity of relaxor ferroelectric crystals for a wide range of biomedical, robotics, and optoelectronics applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2018

Piezoelectrically Tuned, Multimode Cavity Search for Axion Dark Matter

The eV axion is a well-motivated extension to the standard model. The Axion Dark Matter 27 eXperiment (ADMX) collaboration seeks to discover this particle by looking for the resonant con28 version of dark-matter axions to microwave photons in a strong magnetic eld. In this paper we 29 report results from an ADMX pathnder experiment, the ADMX \Sidecar", which is designed to 30 pave the way for future, higher mass, searches. The Sidecar experiment excludes masses in three 31 widely spaced frequency ranges (4202-4249 MHz, 5086-5799 MHz and 7173-7203 MHz), correspond32 ing to masses favored by some cosmic string simulations. In addition, Sidecar demonstrates the 33 successful use of piezoelectric actuators for both cavity tuning and antenna coupling. Finally, this publication is the rst to report data taken on both the TM010 and TM020 modes.

Boutan, Christian R.↗
DOE OSTI2022

Plasma-Assisted Epitaxy of Piezoelectric Sc x Al 1-x N Films on Sapphire for Use in Harsh-Environment Microwave Acoustic Sensors

The Sc x Al 1-x N wurtzite structure has been shown theoretically and experimentally to exhibit significantly higher piezoelectric coupling compared to pure AlN. In this work, a plasma-assisted epitaxial growth method has been used to synthesize epitaxial (0002) Sc x Al 1-x N films on c-sapphire substrates from x = 0.07 to 0.30 by co-evaporating high-purity Sc and Al sources in the presence of a nitrogen plasma generated by an RF plasma source. Epitaxial Sc x Al 1-x N films with highly oriented (0002) grains and in-plane registry were produced on c-sapphire substrates that were pre-exposed to the nitrogen plasma to form an oxynitride seed layer. Growth of Sc x Al 1-x N films was carried out at 930°C under both metal-rich and N-rich conditions using precisely controlled Sc, Al, and N-plasma fluxes. Metal-rich depositions yielded non-(0002)-oriented Sc x Al 1-x N grains and intermetallic ScAl grains. Nitrogen-rich growth with a Sc/Al flux ratio of 1/3 produced the best (0002) epitaxy as determined by x-ray diffraction analysis. Surface acoustic wave resonator (SAWR) devices were fabricated from 500-nm-thick Sc x Al 1-x N and AlN films to extract their electromechanical coupling coefficients, k 2 . As the Sc concentration in the films increases, the degree of (0002) epitaxy is reduced, yet the value of k 2 increases becasue there is more Sc in the wurzite lattice despite the decreased level of (0002) grain alignment. As a result, the use of a 10-nm-thick Si x N y capping layer on top of the Sc x Al 1-x N films aids in preventing etching during SAWR device photolithography and also helps hinder film oxidation up to 800°C.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗
DOE OSTI2017

Understanding the structure–property relationships of the ferroelectric to relaxor transition of the (1-x)BaTiO3–(x)BiInO3 lead-free piezoelectric system

A structural and electromechanical investigation has been performed on (1-x)BaTiO 3 –(x)BiInO 3 in the region 0.03 ≤ x ≤ 0.12. A gradual structural phase transition has been observed where the structure changes from tetragonal (P4mm) and passes through two regions of coexisting phases: (1) P4mm + R3m in the range 0.03 ≤ x ≤ 0.075 and (2) Pm$\bar{3}$m + R3m for 0.10 ≤ x ≤ 0.12. The properties also transition from ferroelectric (x ≤ 0.03) to relaxor ferroelectric (x ≥ 0.05) as the dielectric permittivity maximum becomes temperature and frequency dependent. This transition was also confirmed via polarization-electric field measurements as well as strain-electric field measurements. At the critical composition of x = 0.065, a moderate strain of ~0.104% and an effective piezoelectric coefficient (d$*\atop{33}$) of 260 pm/V were observed. Finally, the original purpose of this study was to demonstrate the polarization extension mechanism as predicted in the literature, but due to the ferroelectric to relaxor transition, this mechanism was not found to be present in this system. However, this demonstrates that BaTiO 3 -based lead-free ceramics could be modified to obtain enhanced electromechanical properties for actuator applications.

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE↗