Fluoroethylenepropylene ferroelectrets with patterned microstructure and high, thermally stable piezoelectricity

Abstract

Layered fluoroethylenepropylene (FEP) ferroelectret films were prepared from sheets of FEP films by template-patterning followed by a fusion-bonding process and contact charging. The layered ferroelectret films show consistency and regularity in their void structures and good bonding of the layers. For films composed of two 12.5 μm thick FEP layers and a typical void of 60 μm height, the critical voltage necessary for the built-up of the “macro-dipoles” in the inner voids is approximately 800 V. At room temperature, Young’s modulus in the thickness direction, determined from dielectric resonance spectra of the fabricated films with a typical thickness of 85 μm, is about 0.21 MPa. Initial quasistatic piezoelectric d33 coefficients of samples contact charged at a peak voltage of 1500 V are in the range of 1000–3000 pC/N. From these, ferroelectrets with high quasistatic and dynamic (up to 20 kHz) d33 coefficients of up to 1000 pC/N and 400 pC/N, respectively, which are thermally stable at 120°C, can be obtained by proper annealing treatment. This constitutes a significant improvement compared to previous results.