A New Lead-Free Piezo-Composite MEMS Acoustic Transducer
摘要
A microphone is a sensor that converts sound waves into an electrical signal, typically using a diaphragm and a transducer. Traditional microphones are often capacitive, but the new generation is moving towards piezoMEMS technology due to its advantages, such as insensitivity to particles, waterproofness, and improved wake-up modes. However, commercially available piezoelectric microphones often use PZT, which contains toxic PbO. This article presents a prototype of a composite, non-toxic, and lead-free piezoelectric microphone capable of operating in harsh environments. The fabricated prototype consists of a 2 μm thin film spun over a platinum-coated silicon wafer, with a top electrode sputtered through a mask. The device was cut to form a cantilever, simulating a transducer in receiver mode. The prototypes were characterized ferroelectrically and vibrometrically, allowing us to extract the piezoelectric parameters and compare them with well-known lead-containing piezoelectric materials (PZT) and green materials (AlN). Vibromechanical characterization revealed a resonance frequency of approximately 4 kHz, within the audible range. The acoustic response was validated by comparing the device's response to a sound wave with that of a commercial microphone. The sensitivity of our device was measured at -55 dBV, which, while lower than the typical range, might be adequate considering the fabrication limitations.