Ba0.85Ca0.15Zr0.1Ti0.9O3 (BCZT)/0.94(Na0.5Bi0.5)TiO3-0.06BaTiO3(NBT-BT) heterostructures for the applications of vibration sensing and energy harvester.

Lead-free piezoelectrics are considered an alternative to lead-based piezo-material for various device applications such as energy harvesters, actuators, and sensors. Ba0.85Ca0.15Zr0.1Ti0.9O3 (BCZT) and 0.94(Na0.5Bi0.5)TiO3-0.06BaTiO3 (NBT-BT) are the lead-free piezoelectrics that are commonly studied due to their superior properties. In this study, we have fabricated thick films of NBT-BT (∼700 nm), BCZT (∼700 nm), and heterostructures comprising both BCZT/NBT-BT(∼500 nm) on commercial Pt(111)/TiO2/SiO2/Si substrates using Pulsed Laser Deposition method. The phase purity of these films was confirmed by X-ray diffraction analysis. The ferroelectric properties of these films were measured using piezo-response force microscopy. The devices were tested by subjecting them to the vibrations of varying frequencies and loads using a vibration simulator/tester for vibration sensing. The BCZT film generated a significant voltage output (∼2 mV). These thick films possess excellent sensitivity and high voltage output, making them candidates for device applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]