Method of manufacture of multiple-element piezoelectric transducer
First Claim
1. A method for manufacture of a plurality of flat plates of lead zirconate-titanate (PZT) piezoelectric material, comprising the steps of:
- preparing a slurry comprising PZT powder in a liquid binder;
forming a green precursor tape by tape-casting said slurry;
allowing said green precursor tape to dry;
cutting said green precursor tape into strips;
stacking said strips of green precursor tape, said strips being interspersed by and in direct contact with flat spacer members comprising sintered PZT;
sintering said stacked strips of precursor tape and PZT spacer members, forming flat PZT plate members; and
removing said spacer members from said flat PZT plate members.
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Accused Products
Abstract
An improved method for fabrication of a multiple-element piezoelectric transducer and the transducer produced thereby. A green precursor tape is produced by doctor-blade tape-casting of a slurry containing lead zirconate-titanate (PZT) powder. After drying, individual strips of the tape are stacked between flat plates of previously sintered PZT, and sintered to form PZT strips; Pb from the previously sintered PZT plates makes up any Pb lost from the surfaces of the tape strips during sintering. The PZT strips are stacked interposed by layers of a thermoplastic polymer, and heated to a temperature above the melting point of the polymer, forming a laminate block. This block is then sliced perpendicular to the plane of the layers, forming slabs of alternate PZT and polymer layers; the slabs are then sliced perpendicular to the first slicing planes, forming strips of alternating PZT and polymer material. Electrodes are then added to complete the transducer assembly.
69 Citations
28 Claims
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1. A method for manufacture of a plurality of flat plates of lead zirconate-titanate (PZT) piezoelectric material, comprising the steps of:
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preparing a slurry comprising PZT powder in a liquid binder; forming a green precursor tape by tape-casting said slurry; allowing said green precursor tape to dry; cutting said green precursor tape into strips; stacking said strips of green precursor tape, said strips being interspersed by and in direct contact with flat spacer members comprising sintered PZT; sintering said stacked strips of precursor tape and PZT spacer members, forming flat PZT plate members; and removing said spacer members from said flat PZT plate members. - View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4)
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5. A method for manufacture of a multiple-element piezoelectric transducer, comprising the steps of:
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preparing a slurry comprising PZT powder in a liquid binder; forming a green precursor tape by tape-casting said slurry; allowing said green precursor tape to dry; cutting said green precursor tape into strips; stacking said strips of green precursor tape interspersed with flat spacer members comprising sintered lead zirconate-titanate (PZT); sintering said stacked strips of precursor tape, forming flat PZT plate members; separating the sintered plate members from the spacer members; stacking a plurality of said PZT plate members interspersed with thermoplastic polymer members; heating said stack of PZT and polymer members, forming a unitary multiple-layer laminate of PZT layers spaced from and bonded to one another by polymer layers; slicing said laminate along first cutting planes substantially perpendicular to the planes of said layers of PZT and polymer, forming substantially flat slab members; slicing said slab members along second cutting planes perpendicular to both said first cutting planes and the planes of said layers of PZT and polymer, forming elongated laminate members comprising a plurality of layers of PZT spaced by layers of polymer; and applying conductive electrodes to edges of the PZT layers exposed on opposite sides of each of the elongated laminate members. - View Dependent Claims (6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14)
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15. A method for manufacture of a multiple-element piezoelectric transducer, comprising the steps of:
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preparing a plurality of strips of a green precursor tape including PZT materials; stacking said strips interspersed with flat spacer members formed of a previously-sintered Pb-rich ceramic material; sintering said strips interspersed with said spacer members, to form a plurality of flat PZT plate members; stacking said plurality of flat PZT plate members interspersed with thermoplastic polymer members; heating said stack of PZT and polymer members, forming a unitary multiple-layer laminate of PZT layers spaced from and bonded to one another by polymer layers; slicing said laminate along first cutting planes substantially perpendicular to the planes of said layers of PZT and polymers, forming substantially flat slab members; slicing said slab members along second cutting planes perpendicular to both said first cutting plane and the planes of said layers of PZT and polymer, forming elongated laminate members comprising a plurality of layers of PZT spaced by layers of polymer; and applying conductive electrodes to edges of the PZT layers exposed on opposite sides of each of the elongated laminate members. - View Dependent Claims (16, 17, 18, 19, 20, 21, 22, 23, 24)
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25. A method for manufacture of a plurality of flat plates of a desired ceramic material, comprising the steps of:
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preparing a slurry comprising the desired ceramic material in powder form in a liquid binder; forming a green precursor tape by tape-casting said slurry; allowing said precursor tape to dry; cutting said precursor tape into strips; stacking said strips of precursor tape, said strips being interspersed by and in direct contact with flat spacer members formed of previously-sintered members of the desired ceramic material; sintering said stacked strips of precursor tape and spacer members, forming flat plate members of said desired ceramic material; and removing said spacer members from said flat plate members of said desired ceramic material. - View Dependent Claims (26, 27, 28)
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Specification