Design and development of shape control piezoelectric MEMS

Piezoelectric materials have been already applied in various applications among commercial products. This is because of their linearity, sensitivity, low cost, and fast response as sensors and actuators. In addition, they can be used as self-powered sensors or energy harvesters due to their ability to produce electrical energy in response to the applied mechanical force. However, the most common, high performance piezoelectric materials are brittle ceramics, which are not suitable for flexible applications. Although several piezoelectric polymers with good mechanical properties have been found, their application has remained limited because of lower piezoelectric properties.

The aim of this PhD project is to enhance the piezoelectric properties of piezoelectric polymers such as PVDF and PVDF-TrFE by adding different fillers inside the polymer matrix or applying new fabrication techniques. In the end, the improved piezoelectric polymers will be used in the design and development of self-assembly, self-organizing, and shape control piezoelectric MEMS. The micro system consists of a flexible substrate with several integrated piezoelectric actuators and can morph into a desired shape and then return to its original form. Such a system can be applied in self-folding robots, construction of artificial muscles, solar energy collection devices, or biomedical instruments.