Piezoelectric thin films have been integrated with silicon microfabrication methods in the formation of both sensors and actuators (commonly called MEMS). This work describes several applications of merged PZT thin film technology, solid-state micromachining, and silicon-based integrated circuit fabrication methods in the formation of acoustic emission microsensors, cantilever microbeam accelerometers, diaphragm micropumps, and cantilever microvalves. When combined with CMOS-based integrated circuits, these sensors and actuators form smart microelectromechanical systems with potentially low-cost and high performance.

Date Published: 19 June 1997
PDF: 4 pages
Proc. SPIE 3046, Smart Structures and Materials 1997: Smart Electronics and MEMS, (19 June 1997); doi: 10.1117/12.276603

Published in SPIE Proceedings Vol. 3046:
Smart Structures and Materials 1997: Smart Electronics and MEMS
Vijay K. Varadan; Paul J. McWhorter, Editor(s)