Effects of hot poling treatment on properties and behavior of PZT based piezoelectric actuators

The effects of hot poling treatment on properties and behavior of sol-gel based PZT Pb(Zr
0.52
, Ti
0.48
)O
3
piezoelectric thin films have been investigated. Optimal hot poling conditions (temperature, bias voltage) have been determined to induce largest imprint and to improve piezoelectric properties. The effective piezoelectric coefficient e
31,eff
is enhanced by about 22% after poling. The stability of poling state has been studied as a function of time. Effects of poling on actuators behavior have finally been observed such as higher actuation efficiency, with about 22% more deflection after hot poling, as well as lower hysteresis.