3-3 connectivity multilayered piezoelectric composites

The paper describes a preliminary investigation of 3-3 connectivity multilayered piezoelectric composites that can be manufactured using the dice and fill technique. The dicing operation is undertaken such that the continuity of the surface electrode is maintained on the inner layer. The PZFlex finite element modelling package is used to investigate the resonant behaviour of a three layer design. Comparison is made between devices comprising uniform and non-uniform layer thickness; not all of the non-uniform layer designs that were investigated generate both the even and odd harmonics of the fundamental. Results from experimental devices, and a technique to minimise the inter layer bond thickness by the deposition of a controlled wet film thickness of the adhesive layer, are described.