• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.232.2-232.2
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• 2015

Piezoelectric force microscopy (PFM) is a powerful method to characterize inversed piezoelectric effects directly using conductive atomic force microscopy (AFM) tips. Piezoelectric domains respond to an applied AC voltage with a characteristic strain via a contact between the tip and the surface of piezoelectric material. Electroactive piezoelectric polymers are widely investigated due to their advantages such as flexibility, light weight, and microactuation enabling various device features. Although piezoelectric polymers are promising materials for wide applications, they have the primary issue that the piezoelectric coefficient is much lower than that of piezoelectric ceramics. Researchers are studying widely to enhance the piezoelectric coefficient of the materials including nanoscale fabrication and copolymerization with some materials. In this report, nanoscale electroactive polymers are prepared by the electrospinning method that provides advantages of direct poling, scalability, and easy control. The main parameters of the electrospinning process such as distance, bias voltage, viscosity of the solution, and elasticity affects the piezoelectric coefficient and the nanoscale structures which are related to the phase of piezoelectric polymers. The characterization of such electroactive polymers are conducted using piezoelectric force microscopy (PFM). Their morphologies are characterized by field emission-scanning electron microscope (FE-SEM) and the crystallinity of the polymer is determined by X-ray diffractometer.

• Journal of the Optical Society of Korea
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• v.19 no.3
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• pp.297-302
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• 2015

Terahertz (THz) wave generation from bulk and periodically poled $LiTaO_3$ (PPLT) with a Cherenkov phase matching scheme is numerically investigated. It is shown that by using the crystal birefringence of bulk $LiTaO_3$ and a grating vector of PPLT, THz waves can be efficiently generated by difference frequency generation (DFG) with a Cherenkov phase matching scheme. The frequency tuning characteristics of the THz wave via varying wavelength of difference frequency waves, phase matching angle, poling period of PPLT and working temperature are theoretically analyzed. The parametric gain coefficient in the low-loss limit and the absorption coefficient of the THz wave during the DFG process in the vicinity of polariton resonances are numerically analyzed. A THz wave can be efficiently generated by utilizing the giant second order nonlinearities of $LiTaO_3$ in the vicinity of polariton resonances.

• Korean Journal of Materials Research
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• v.29 no.6
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• pp.371-377
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• 2019

A flexible piezoelectric energy harvester(f-PEH) that converts tiny mechanical and vibrational energy resources into electric signals without any restraints is drawing attention as a self-powered source to operate flexible electronic systems. In particular, the nanocomposites-based f-PEHs fabricated by a simple and low-cost spin-coating method show a mechanically stable and high output performance compared to only piezoelectric polymers or perovskite thin films. Here, the non-piezoelectric polymer matrix of the nanocomposite-based f-PEH is replaced by a P(VDF-TrFE) piezoelectric polymer to improve the output performance generated from the f-PEH. The piezoelectric hybrid nanocomposite is produced by distributing the perovskite PZT nanoparticles inside the piezoelectric elastomer; subsequently, the piezoelectric hybrid material is spin-coated onto a thin metal substrate to achieve a nanocomposite-based f-PEH. A fabricated energy device after a two-step poling process shows a maximum output voltage of 9.4 V and a current of 160 nA under repeated mechanical bending. Finite element analysis(FEA) simulation results support the experimental results.

• Journal of the Korean Society for Precision Engineering
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• v.23 no.6 s.183
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• pp.166-173
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• 2006

In this study, a probe array has been developed for use in a data storage device that is based on scanning probe microscope (SPM) and MEMS technology. When recording data bits by poling the PZT thin layer and reading them by sensing its piezoresponse, commercial probes of which the tip heights are typically shorter than $3{\mu}m$ raise a problem due to the electrostatic forces occurring between the probe body and the bottom electrode of a medium. In order to reduce this undesirable effect, a poly-silicon probe with a high aspect-ratio tip was fabricated using a molding technique. Poly-silicon probes fabricated by the molding technique have several features. The tip can be protected during the subsequent fabrication processes and have a high aspect ratio. The tip radius can be as small as 15 nm because sharpening oxidation process is allowed. To drive the probe, electrostatic actuation mechanism was employed since the fabrication process and driving/sensing circuit is very simple. The natural frequency and DC sensitivity of a fabricated probe were measured to be 18.75 kHz and 16.7 nm/V, respectively. The step response characteristic was investigated as well. Overshoot behavior in the probe movement was hardly observed because of large squeeze film air damping forces. Therefore, the probe fabricated in this study is considered to be very useful in probe-based data storages since it can stably approach toward the medium and be more robust against external shock.

• Transactions of the Korean Society of Mechanical Engineers A
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• v.38 no.12
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• pp.1335-1343
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• 2014

Piezoelectric paint can be used to monitor vibrations or impacts occurring in large engineering structures such as ships and airplanes. This study investigated the impact detection characteristics of a piezoelectric paint sensor and possible errors in detecting impacts according to boundary conditions. The piezoelectric paint sensor used in this study was coated on an aluminum plate with four different electrode areas. After the occurrence of the poling process, the output voltages from the paint sensors were obtained when impact occurred in a certain sensor region. The experimental results revealed a large difference in magnitudes between the sensor signal in the impact region and those in the other regions, and this relation was maintained regardless of the changes in the boundary conditions.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.33 no.2
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• pp.228-234
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• 1996

It is very important to understand the domain structures of ferroelectric BaTiO3 in the poling process. Especially because {111} twinning is frequently observed in most BaTiO3 ceramics it is required to know the relations between the ferroelectric domains and the structural twin. In this study the domain structures of a {111} twinned crystal sample were observed under a polarizing microscope. and the relation between the {111} twin and the domain configurations could be classified into two types of 'V'-shape and linear shape penetrating perpendicular to the twin boundary. Domain formation obeys the symmetry of the {111} twining when a new domain structure is developed by heat treatment and surface deformation due to domain formation is also occured symmetrically between the both sides of the{111} twin boundary. This symmetrical behavior of the domains could be interpreted with the "head-to-tall" orientation of the domains across the {111} twin boundary.

• Journal of the Korean Crystal Growth and Crystal Technology
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• v.25 no.4
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• pp.160-165
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• 2015

Lead-free piezoelectric materials have been actively studied to substitute for conventional PZT based solid solution, $Pb(Zr_xTi_{1-x}O_3)$, which occurs unavoidable PbO during the sintering process. Among them, Bismuth Sodium Titanate, $Na_{0.5}Bi_{0.5}TiO_3$ (abbreviated as NBT) based solid solution is attracted for the one of excellent candidates which shows the strong ferroelectricity, Curie temperature (Tc), remnant polarization (Pr) and coercive field (Ec). Especially, the solid solution of rhombohedral phase NBT with tetragonal perovskite phase has a rhombohedral - tetragonal morphotropic phase boundary. Modified NBT with tetragonal perovskite at the region of MPB can be applied for high frequency ultrasonic application because of not only its low permittivity, high electrocoupling factor and high mechanical strength, but also effective piezoelectric activity by poling. In this study, solid state ceramic processing of NBT and modified NBT, $(Na_{0.5}Bi_{0.5})_{0.93}Ba_{0.7}TiO_3$ (abbreviated as NBT-7BT), at the region of MPB using 7 % $BaTiO_3$ as a tetragonal perovskite was introduced and the structure between NBT and NBT-7BT were analyzed using rietveld refinement. Also, the ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of NBT-7BT such as permittivity, piezoelectric constant, polarization hysteresis and strain hysteresis loop were compared with those of pure NBT.