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Cited by 20Ferroelectric and Piezoelectric MaterialsNanomaterials and Printing TechnologiesDielectric materials and actuators

Low-temperature processing of screen-printed piezoelectric KNbO3 with integration onto biodegradable paper substrates

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Monroe, Morgan M., Villanueva, L. Guillermo, Briand, Danick·2023·Microsystems & Nanoengineering
DOI 10.1038/s41378-023-00489-0PMC PMC9946825
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Abstract

The development of fully solution-processed, biodegradable piezoelectrics is a critical step in the development of green electronics towards the worldwide reduction of harmful electronic waste. However, recent printing processes for piezoelectrics are hindered by the high sintering temperatures required for conventional perovskite fabrication techniques. Thus, a process was developed to manufacture lead-free printed piezoelectric devices at low temperatures to enable integration with eco-friendly substrates and electrodes. A printable ink was developed for screen printing potassium niobate (KNbO 3) piezoelectric layers in microns of thickness at a maximum processing temperature of 120 °C with high reproducibility. Characteristic parallel plate capacitor and cantilever devices were designed and manufactured to assess the quality of this ink and evaluate its physical, dielectric, and piezoelectric characteristics; including a comparison of behaviour between conventional silicon and biodegradable paper substrates. The printed layers were 10.7–11.2 μm thick, with acceptable surface roughness values in the range of 0.4–1.1 μm. The relative permittivity of the piezoelectric layer was 29.3. The poling parameters were optimised for the piezoelectric response, with an average longitudinal piezoelectric coefficient for samples printed on paper substrates measured as d33, eff, paper = 13.57 ± 2.84 pC/N; the largest measured value was 18.37 pC/N on paper substrates. This approach to printable biodegradable piezoelectrics opens the way forward for fully solution-processed green piezoelectric devices.

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  • Researchers formulated a printable ink specifically designed for screen printing KNbO3 piezoelectric layers, achieving thicknesses in the micron range (10.7-11.2 μm) at lower temperatures (120°C) with excellent reproducibility.

    “Consequently, researchers have formulated a printable ink specifically designed for screen printing KNbO 3 piezoelectric layers, achieving thicknesses in the micron range (10.7-11.2μm) at lower temperatures (120°C) with excellent reproducibility (Figure 7C) [112].”

    From Design Strategies and Emerging Applications of Perovskite-Based Sensors (2025) · cites this paper as [112]

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Cited by

Sorted by citations

Authors
Monroe, M. M., Villanueva, L. G., & Briand, D.
Affiliations
École Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne (CH)
Corresponding author
Briand, Danick
ORCID
Venue
Microsystems & Nanoengineering
Publisher
Springer Science and Business Media LLC
Published
2023-02-23
Volume
9
Issue
1
Pages
19-19
ISSN
2055-7434 (ISSN-L)
DOI
10.1038/s41378-023-00489-0
PMC
PMC9946825
OpenAlex
W4321482864
Cited by
20
References
1
Citations by year
2026: 3 · 2025: 7 · 2024: 5 · 2023: 5
FWCI
1.47
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • Microsystems & Nanoengineering (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed Central (publishedVersion, cc-by)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
  • Infoscience (Ecole Polytechnique Fédérale de Lausanne) (submittedVersion, cc-by-nc-nd)
  • DOAJ (DOAJ: Directory of Open Access Journals) (submittedVersion, cc-by-sa)
Funders
Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung (179064)
Topics
  • Physical Sciences › Materials Science › Materials Chemistry › Ferroelectric and Piezoelectric Materials
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Electrical and Electronic Engineering › Nanomaterials and Printing Technologies
  • Physical Sciences › Engineering › Biomedical Engineering › Dielectric materials and actuators
Keywords
KNbO3, screen printing, low-temperature processing, lead-free piezoelectrics, poling, piezoelectric coefficient, green electronics, electronic waste reduction, dielectric properties

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