Poling technologies and design optimization for integrated piezoelectric bulk transducers and piezoelectric composites

The present paper investigates new approaches for the optimization of the electromechanical coupling of integrated piezoelectric transducers with view on series integration processes. Thereby, the focus lies on the poling process itself as well as on the device design ensuring polarizability. In a first part, poling of piezoelectric bulk materials is reviewed with the aim to identify potentials for its direct implementation into the fabrication process of functionalized lightweight structures. In a second part of the paper, design and poling process of polymer-ceramic composites made of piezoelectric fibers and particles are evaluated. On the basis of finite element analyses and simplified poling models, suggestions for significant performance improvements are made. First experiments confirm the potential of the considered approaches.