The Effects of Piezoelectric Ceramic Dissipation Factor on the Performance of Ultrasonic Transducers

The dissipation factor (DF) is an important material property of piezoceramics that governs the amount of self-heating under resonant conditions; it essentially quantifies a particular material type for either an actuator or resonator application: high DF materials with typically higher output (d33) are better for actuators, whereas low DF materials with typically lower d33 are better for resonators. Transducer designers must often compromise between mechanical output and DF in the selection of piezoceramics for power ultrasonic applications, and abnormally high DF is one of the main causes of production stoppages. In theory DF is simply the current/voltage phase deviation from an ideal capacitor at 90° (a.k.a. tan(δ) or dielectric loss). Abnormally high DF is typically caused by moisture absorption due to poor ceramic porosity, which causes voltage leakage effects; e.g., seen in transducer production when setting piezo stack preload. Corresponding large increases in capacitance can also be associated with poor porosity, which is counterintuitive unless there is moisture absorption or electrode wicking. This research investigates the mechanisms for abnormally high DF in peizoceramics, and its corresponding effect on transducer performance. It investigates if DF is only affected by the bulk dielectric properties of the piezoceramics (e.g. porosity), or is also influenced by non-uniform electric field effects from electrode wicking. It explores if higher DF ceramics can affect transducer displacement/current gain stability via moisture expulsion at higher drive levels. The investigation focuses solely on the common PZT8 piezoelectric material used with welding transducers for semiconductor wire bonding. Transducers are built with both normal DF peizoceramics, and those with abnormally high DF ceramics which caused production stoppages. Several metrics are investigated such as impedance, displacement gain and capacitance. The experimental and theoretical research methods include Bode plots, SEM cross-sections, Archimedes method, equivalent circuits, laser vibrometry and finite element analysis.