Metal-based piezoelectric energy harvesters by direct deposition of PZT thick films on stainless steel

This study presents a lead zirconate titanate (PZT) energy harvester with stainless steel (SUS 304) substrate the resonance frequency of which is lower than 100 Hz. The PZT thick films had been directly and successfully deposited on SUS substrates by the sol-gel method with a thickness of 4 m. Then the deposited films were evaluated by the X-ray diffraction method and the scanning electron microscopy method. Energy harvesters were fabricated and their performance was measured under various vibration conditions. Optimal output power and resonant frequency are 15 W and 89 Hz, respectively, when the devices were tested under 1 g acceleration vibration and connected with a 23 kΩ resistor.