Anodic aluminum oxide-epoxy composite acoustic matching layers for ultrasonic transducer application.

The goal of this work is to demonstrate the application of anodic aluminum oxide (AAO) template as matching layer of ultrasonic transducer. Quarter-wavelength acoustic matching layer is known as a vital component in medical ultrasonic transducers to compensate the acoustic impedance mismatch between piezoelectric element and human body. The AAO matching layer is made of anodic aluminum oxide template filled with epoxy resin, i.e. AAO-epoxy 1-3 composite. Using this composite as the first matching layer, a ∼12MHz ultrasonic transducer based on soft lead zirconate titanate piezoelectric ceramic is fabricated, and pulse-echo measurements show that the transducer exhibits very good performance with broad bandwidth of 68% (-6dB) and two-way insertion loss of -22.7dB. Wire phantom ultrasonic image is also used to evaluate the transducer's performance, and the results confirm the process feasibility and merit of AAO-epoxy composite as a new matching material for ultrasonic transducer application. This matching scheme provides a solution to address the problems existing in the conventional 0-3 composite matching layer and suggests another useful application of AAO template.

Infrared light gated MoS2 field effect transistor.

Molybdenum disulfide (MoS2) as a promising 2D material has attracted extensive attentions due to its unique physical, optical and electrical properties. In this work, we demonstrate an infrared (IR) light gated MoS2 transistor through a device composed of MoS2 monolayer and a ferroelectric single crystal Pb(Mg(1/3)Nb(2/3))O3-PbTiO3 (PMN-PT). With a monolayer MoS2 onto the top surface of (111) PMN-PT crystal, the drain current of MoS2 channel can be modulated with infrared illumination and this modulation process is reversible. Thus, the transistor can work as a new kind of IR photodetector with a high IR responsivity of 114%/Wcm⁻². The IR response of MoS2 transistor is attributed to the polarization change of PMN-PT single crystal induced by the pyroelectric effect which results in a field effect. Our result promises the application of MoS2 2D material in infrared optoelectronic devices. Combining with the intrinsic photocurrent feature of MoS2 in the visible range, the MoS2 on ferroelectric single crystal may be sensitive to a broadband wavelength of light.

A high performance triboelectric nanogenerator for self-powered non-volatile ferroelectric transistor memory.

We demonstrate an integrated module of self-powered ferroelectric transistor memory based on the combination of a ferroelectric FET and a triboelectric nanogenerator (TENG). The novel TENG was made of a self-assembled polystyrene nanosphere array and a poly(vinylidene fluoride) porous film. Owing to this unique structure, it exhibits an outstanding performance with an output voltage as high as 220 V per cycle. Meanwhile, the arch-shaped TENG is shown to be able to pole a bulk ferroelectric 0.65Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.35PbTiO3 (PMN-PT) single crystal directly. Based on this effect, a bottom gate ferroelectric FET was fabricated using pentacene as the channel material and a PMN-PT single crystal as the gate insulator. Systematic tests illustrate that the ON/OFF current ratio of this transistor memory element is approximately 10(3). More importantly, we demonstrate the feasibility to switch the polarization state of this FET gate insulator, namely the stored information, by finger tapping the TENG with a designed circuit. These results may open up a novel application of TENGs in the field of self-powered memory systems.

(K,Na)NbO3 nanofiber-based self-powered sensors for accurate detection of dynamic strain.

A self-powered active strain sensor based on well-aligned (K,Na)NbO3 piezoelectric nanofibers is successfully fabricated through the electrospinning and polymer packaging process. The device exhibits a fast, active response to dynamic strain by generating impulsive voltage signal that is dependent on the amplitude of the dynamic strains and the vibration frequency. When the frequency is fixed at 1 Hz, the peak to peak value of the voltage increases from ∼1 to ∼40 mV, and the strain changes from 1 to 6%. Furthermore, the output voltage is linearly increased by an order of magnitude with the frequency changing from 0.2 to 5 Hz under the same strain amplitude. The influence of frequency on the output voltage can be further enhanced at higher strain amplitude. This phenomenon is attributed to the increased generating rate of piezoelectric charges under higher strain rate of the nanofibers. By counting the pulse separation of the voltage peaks, the vibration frequency is synchronously measured during the sensing process. The accuracy of the sensing results can be improved by calibration according to the frequency-dependent sensing behavior.

Focused intravascular ultrasonic probe using dimpled transducer elements.

High-frequency focused intravascular ultrasonic probes were fabricated in this study using dimple technique based on PMN-PT single crystal and lead-free KNN-KBT-Mn ceramic. The center frequency, bandwidth, and insertion loss of the PMN-PT transducer were 34 MHz, 75%, and 22.9 dB, respectively. For the lead-free probe, the center frequency, bandwidth, and insertion loss were found to be 40 MHz, 72%, and 28.8 dB, respectively. The ultrasonic images of wire phantom and vessels with good resolution were obtained to evaluate the transducer performance. The -6 dB axial and lateral resolutions of the PMN-PT probe were determined to be 58 µm and 131 µm, respectively. For the lead-free probe, the axial and lateral resolutions were found to be 44 µm and 125 µm, respectively. These results suggest that the mechanical dimpling technique has good potential in preparing focused transducers for intravascular ultrasound applications.

Nanoscale free-standing magnetoelectric heteropillars.

Nanocomposites with a film-on-substrate geometry usually suffer from a large clamping effect from the substrate, inhibiting the elastic-interaction-mediated "product" property such as the magnetoelectric response in piezoelectric-magnetostrictive systems. Here we report a self-assembling strategy to synthesize nanoscaled free-standing magnetoelectric heteropillars. The degree of clamping from the substrate has been greatly reduced, which is manifested by enhanced piezoelectricity and isotropic magnetic behaviors. A combination of techniques such as transmission electron microscopy, Raman spectroscopy and X-ray diffraction provide additional evidence of stress release in the as-prepared nanocomposite. Moreover, as a benefit of this unconstrained structure, we are able to observe a large magnetic-field-induced polarization change of up to 11.5% at room temperature, demonstrating its potential application in future magnetoelectronic devices at the nanoscale.

High frequency PMN-PT single crystal focusing transducer fabricated by a mechanical dimpling technique.

High frequency (∼30MHz and ∼80MHz) focusing ultrasound transducers were fabricated using a PMN-0.28PT single crystal by a mechanical dimpling technique. The dimpled single crystal was used as an active element for the focusing transducer. Compared with a plane transducer, the focusing transducer fabricated with a dimpled active element exhibits much broader bandwidth and higher sensitivity. Besides, a high quality image can be obtained by the 30MHz focusing transducer, in which the -6dB axial and lateral resolution is 27µm and 139µm, respectively. These results prove that the dimpling technique is capable to fabricate the high frequency focusing transducers with excellent performance for imaging applications.

High-frequency ultrasonic transducer based on lead-free BSZT piezoceramics.

This paper describes the fabrication and evaluation of a high-frequency (40MHz) transducer based on lead-free piezoceramics for ultrasonic imaging. The transducer with an aperture size of 0.9mm has been fabricated using barium strontium zirconate titanate ((Ba(0.95)Sr(0.05))(Zr(0.05)Ti(0.95))O(3), abbreviated as BSZT) ceramics. The lead-free BSZT has a piezoelectric d(33) coefficient of 300 pC/N and an electromechanical coupling factor k(t) of 0.45. High-frequency ultrasound transducers were fabricated and a bandwidth of 76.4% has been achieved with an insertion loss of -26dB. Applications in high resolution biological and medical imaging could be possible with this lead-free material.

An integrated microfluidic chip with 40 MHz lead-free transducer for fluid analysis.

The design, fabrication, and evaluation of a high-frequency transducer made from lead-free piezoceramic for the application of microfluidic analysis is described. Barium strontium zirconate titanate [(Ba(0.95)Sr(0.05))(Zr(0.05)Ti(0.95))O(3), abbreviated as BSZT] ceramic has been chosen to be the active element of the transducer. The center frequency and bandwidth of this high-frequency ultrasound transducer have been measured to be 43 MHz and 56.1%, respectively. The transducer was integrated into a microfluidic channel and used to measure the sound velocity and attenuation of the liquid flowing in the channel. Results suggest that lead-free high-frequency transducers could be used for in situ analysis of property of the fluid flowing through the microfluidic system.

Optofluidic microcavities: Dye-lasers and biosensors.

Optofluidic microcavities are integrated elements of microfluidics that can be explored for a large variety of applications. In this review, we first introduce the physics basis of optical microcavities and microflow control. Then, we describe four types of optofluidic dye lasers developed so far based on both simple and advanced device fabrication technologies. To illustrate the application potential of such devices, we present two types of laser intracavity measurements for chemical solution and single cell analyses. In addition, the possibility of single molecule detection is discussed. All these recent achievements demonstrated the great importance of the topics in biology and several other disciplines.

Enhanced dielectric properties of nanocrystalline (Ba0.65Sr0.35)TiO3 thin films grown on CaRuO3 buffer layers.

Highly (100)-oriented and (110)-oriented (Ba0.65Sr0.35)TiO3 (BSTO) and (Ba0.65Sr0.35)TiO3/CaRuO3 (BSTO/CRO) heterostructure thin films, have been grown on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates prepared by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The structure and surface morphology of the films have been characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscope (SEM). The dielectric constants of the films changes significantly with applied dc bias field and have high tunability of 76.3% and 78.1% at an applied field of 256.3 kV/cm, respectively for BSTO and BSTO/CRO thin films on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates. The tunability of the BSTO/CRO heterostructure thin films on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrate was higher than that of the BSTO thin films on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrate. The high tunability has been attributed to the (110) texture of the films and lager grain sizes.

Generation of Janus alginate hydrogel particles with magnetic anisotropy for cell encapsulation.

A microfluidic approach for fabrication of Janus hydrogel particles with magnetic anisotropy is demonstrated. Using this technique, cells and magnetic beads (MBs) can be separately embedded in one hydrogel particle to maintain optical performance, and reduce the contact between cells and magnetic beads (nano- or submicron-particles). Alginate cell capsules prepared by this method can be easily controlled and manipulated by external magnetic fields and require no specific surface modification. Bio-degradability and super-paramagnetic properties of these hydrogel particles were also demonstrated experimentally.

Piezoelectric dispenser based on a piezoelectric-metal-cavity actuator.

A piezoelectric dispenser has been fabricated based on the idea of a piezoelectric-metal-cavity (PMC) actuator. The PMC actuator consists of a metal ring sandwiched between two identical piezoelectric unimorphs. The radial contraction of the piezoelectric ceramic is converted into a flextensional motion of the unimorph, causing a large flexural displacement in the center part of the actuator. With the PMC actuator as a fluid chamber, the large flexural actuation can be used to produce the displacement needed to eject fluid. By applying an appropriate voltage to the piezoelectric unimorphs, a drop-on-demand ejection of ink or water can be achieved. The efficiency of fluid ejection can be enhanced after installing a valve in the fluid chamber. With the simple PMC structure, the dispenser can be operated with a low driving voltage of 12-15 V.

Lead-free KNLNT piezoelectric ceramics for high-frequency ultrasonic transducer application.

This paper presents the latest development of a lead-free piezoelectric ceramic and its application to transducers suitable for high-frequency ultrasonic imaging. A lead-free piezoelectric ceramic with formula of (K(0.5)Na(0.5))(0.97)Li(0.03)(Nb(0.9) Ta(0.1))O(3) (abbreviated as KNLNT-0.03/0.10) was fabricated and characterized. The material was found to have a clamped dielectric constant epsilon(33)(S)/epsilon(0)=890, piezoelectric coefficient d(33)=245 pC/N, electromechanical coupling factor k(t)=0.42 and Curie temperature T(c)>300 degrees C. High-frequency (40 MHz) ultrasound transducers were successfully fabricated with the lead-free material. A representative lead-free transducer had a bandwidth of 45%, two-way insertion loss of -18 dB. This performance is comparable to reported performances of popular lead-based transducers. The comparison results suggest that the lead-free piezoelectric material may serve as an alternative to lead-based piezoelectric materials for high-frequency ultrasonic transducer applications.

Fine grained Ba(1-x)Sr(x)TiO3 ceramics by spark plasma sintering.

Fine grained Ba(0.75)Sr(0.25)TiO3 (BST) ceramics were prepared via spark plasma sintering technique. BST nano-powders freshly prepared by a low-temperature direct solution synthesis technique were used as starting materials. X-ray diffraction measurements indicated that the ceramics had a pure perovskite phase and the observation under scanning electron microscope revealed that the ceramic had a grain size in the range of 50 to 300 nm. The dielectric properties of the fine-grained BST ceramics were determined at different temperatures and frequencies. At room temperature, the ceramics exhibited a moderate dielectric constant (3962 +/- 10), a good dielectric tunability (53.84% under a dc bias of 19.72 kV/cm). The highest tunability and figure of merit (FOM) values are 83.27% at 50.2 degrees C and 289.28 at 62.3 degrees C, respectively. These results suggested that the BST ceramics are suitable for use in tunable microwave devices.

PMN-PT single crystal thick films on silicon substrate for high-frequency micromachined ultrasonic transducers.

In this work, a novel high-frequency ultrasonic transducer structure is realized by using PMNPT-on-silicon technology and silicon micromachining. To prepare the single crystalline PMNPT-on-silicon wafers, a hybrid processing method involving wafer bonding, mechanical lapping and wet chemical thinning is successfully developed. In the transducer structure, the active element is fixed within the stainless steel needle housing. The measured center frequency and -6 dB bandwidth of the transducer are 35 MHz and 34%, respectively. Owing to the superior electromechanical coupling coefficient (k(t)) and high piezoelectric constant (d(33)) of PMNPT film, the transducer shows a good energy conversion performance with a very low insertion loss down to 8.3 dB at the center frequency.

Lead-free acoustic emission sensors.

Acoustic emission (AE) sensors have been fabricated using both soft- and hard-type lead-free (Na0.5K0.5)NbO3-based ceramics. The acoustic and electromechanical properties of the ceramics have been determined using the resonance technique. The lead-free AE sensors were calibrated using a laser source and compared to a commercial sensor. A lead zirconate titanate (PZT) 5H ceramics AE sensor has also been fabricated and calibrated for comparison. It was found that the sensitivity of lead-free AE sensors is comparable to that of the lead-based PZT sensor. To evaluate the sensors for potential application, they have been used in the detection of AE in an impact test. The lead-free sensors can reproduce AE signals accurately without giving artifacts and have potential use in commercial AE systems.

Negative photoconductivity and memory effects of germanium nanocrystals embedded in HfO2 dielectric.

A metal-insulator-semiconductor (MIS) structure containing an HfO2/SiO2 stack tunnel layer, isolated Germanium (Ge) nanocrystals, and an HfO2 capping layer, was obtained by an electron-beam evaporation method. A high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) study revealed that uniform and pronounced Ge nanocrystals had formed after annealing. Raman spectroscopy provided evidence for the formation of Ge-Ge bonds and the optimal annealing temperature for the crystallization ratio of the Ge. The electric properties of the MIS structure were characterized by capacitance-voltage (C-V) and current-voltage (I-V) measurements at room temperature. Negative photoconductivity was observed when the structure was under a forward bias, which screened the bias voltage, resulting in a decrease in the current at a given voltage and a negative shift in flat band voltage. A relatively high stored charge density of 3.27 x 10(12) cm 2 was also achieved.

A simple and convenient route to prepare poly(vinylidene fluoride trifluoroethylene) copolymer nanowires and nanotubes.

Poly(vinylidene fluoride trifluoroethylene) copolymer nanowires and nanotubes have been prepared for the first time via a high temperature (

Ultrasonic transducers using electron-irradiated vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene copolymers.

Single-element, planar transducers have been fabricated using electron-irradiated poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) 80/20 mol% copolymers with different electron dosage. Electrical field-induced strain response of copolymer film with 100 Mrad dosage has been studied at 5 kHz and the electrostrictive coefficient was calculated. The transmitting response of the air-backing and epoxy-backing transducers was evaluated with the application of high DC bias voltages. Clear ultrasonic amplitudes and high frequency spectrum (>20 MHz) were observed when driven from a standard ultrasonic voltage source through a decoupling circuit. It has also showed that larger generation of ultrasonic waves will be induced under high DC bias field, which is due to the increase of induced d(33) piezoelectric coefficient. Two different polar bias voltages, positive and negative, were applied to the transducers and inverse waveforms were received, which was coincident with the theoretical analysis of the strain response of electrostrictive film.