Preparation and characterization of piezoelectric materials

Energy in various forms has been existent ever since the birth of humanity. With our zeal and zest we have been successful in harnessing the energy into electrical form from the available forms. One of the major form of energy lies in mechanical processes and vibrations. Piezoelectric is one such method to harness electrical energy from vibrations and mechanical stress of an object. Much of research has been done in this field but a lot still needs to be done. My aim by this paper is to emphasize on the means to convert vibrational energy into electrical energy with the help of piezoelectric materials. There are many possible materials suitable to work as a piezoelectric but I have prepared thin film PZT for this purpose using Silicon as a substrate. The electrical properties of the piezoelectric material matter a lot so PZT should be prepared as per the requirements. Piezoelectric materials have a crystalline structure which provides them the ability to transform mechanical strain into electrical charge and vice versa. By this paper I wish to emphasize on the preparation and electrical, dielectric properties of the materials suitable for harnessing the electrical energy. P-E loop and effect of hysteresis on the performance of PZT has also been discussed. The preparation of a sound PZT is the most basic and important for piezoelectric energy harvesting. Together, all the basics of piezoelectric material properties have been combined from which an idea about it´s suitability as an energy source can be drawn. It has a bright future for sure due to its ability to be integrated with nature, humans and machines.