Ferroelectric Sensors

The growing class of ferroelectric sensors covers a broad spectrum of devices based on piezoelectric, electrostrictive, pyroelectric, dielectric, and conduction phenomena. It finds applications in as diverse and wide areas as industrial production, automotive and aerospace applications, communications, health care, and environmental monitoring. In this brief review, we first introduce the physical phenomena underlying the major types of ferroelectric sensors and the materials used. Then, the principal types sensors are described: infrared sensors, pressure sensors, force and motion sensors, flow sensors, hydrophones, ultrasonic transducers for medical imaging and material testing, and a variety of devices based on the exponential temperature dependence of resistivity. Emphasis is placed on recent advances and emerging technologies, such as thin-film array devices and novel single crystal sensors.