Piezoelectric Electronics

Piezoelectric effect and semiconductor effect are combined to form a new research field: piezoelectric electronics.

Piezoelectric effect

Piezoelectric effect refers to the phenomenon of voltage generated when a specific crystal material deforms under stress, that is, a phenomenon of exchange of mechanical energy and electrical energy. This phenomenon was discovered by Pierre Curie and Jacques Curie brothers in 1880. The reason for the piezoelectric effect of piezoelectric materials is that the special arrangement of atoms in piezoelectric materials makes the materials have the coupling effect of stress field and electric field. Piezoelectric effect has been widely used in the fields of micro mechanical sensing, device driving and energy.

Piezoelectric device

A new nano electronic logic device based on piezoelectric effect. The switch of this logic device can be regulated by the electric field generated by the stress applied to the zinc oxide nanowire, so as to realize the basic and complex logic functions. In the traditional field effect transistor, a field effect switch regulates the direction of current in the semiconductor; This electric field depends on the applied voltage. The switching field of this new nano logic device is the internal field of the crystal generated by the mechanical deformation of ZnO nanowires. It can replace the role of gate voltage in traditional metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) devices, so as to regulate the movement of carriers. The research of CMOS transistors is committed to high-speed operation, which complements it. New nano piezoelectric logic devices are suitable for low-frequency applications. The basic components of new nano electronic logic devices based on piezoelectric effect include transistors and diodes, which can be widely used in nano robots, nano electromechanical systems, micro electromechanical systems and microfluidic devices. The signal stress regulating such logic devices can be caused by simple button action, liquid flow, muscle expansion or movement of robot parts. Zinc oxide nanowire piezoelectric transistors, which use mechanical strain as gate control signal, are the basic components of this new group of logic devices. Each ZnO nanowire piezoelectric transistor consists of a ZnO nanowire integrated on a flexible substrate and a source drain metal electrode at both ends. By changing the stress acting on the flexible substrate, the strain polarity changes correspondingly in the nanowires, so as to realize the trigger regulation of piezoelectric transistors.