Electrode size dependence of piezoelectric response of lead zirconate titanate thin films measured by double beam laser interferometry

The electrode size dependence of the effective large signal piezoelectric response coefficient (d(33,f)) of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin films is investigated by using double beam laser interferometer measurements and finite element modeling. The experimentally observed electrode size dependence is shown to arise from a contribution from the substrate. The intrinsic PZT contribution to d(33,f) is independent of electrode size and is equal to the theoretical value derived assuming a rigid substrate. The substrate contribution is strongly dependent on the relative size of the electrode with respect to the substrate thickness. For electrode sizes larger than the substrate thickness, the substrate contribution is positive and for electrode sizes smaller than the substrate thickness, the substrate contribution is negative. In the case of silicon substrates, if the electrode size is equal to the substrate thickness, the substrate contribution vanishes, and the measured value of d(33,f) is equal to the theoretical value under the rigid substrate assumption. (C) 2013 AIP Publishing LLC.