Methods of forming piezoelectric materials, piezoelectric devices, and associated tooling and systems

Patent metadata

Field	Value
Publication number	US-12414474-B2
Application number	US-202117507279-A
Country	US
Kind code	B2
Filing date	Oct 21, 2021
Priority date	Oct 21, 2021
Publication date	Sep 9, 2025
Grant date	Sep 9, 2025

Abstract

A method of forming a piezoelectric device may include depositing a sol-gel film over a substrate and curing the sol-gel film by impinging light onto an exposed surface of the sol-gel film to form a piezoelectric ceramic element. The method may produce a piezoelectric composite material including at least two piezoelectric ceramic pillars over the substrate. The at least two piezoelectric pillars may include at least one layer. The at least one layer having a gradient density, such that a first portion of the at least one layer proximate the substrate has a density lower than a second portion that is located a greater distance from the substrate than the first portion. The piezoelectric composite material may further include a resin separating the at least two piezoelectric ceramic pillars.

First claim

What is claimed is:

1. A method of forming a piezoelectric device comprising:
applying a substrate over a cylindrical surface of a body of a drum;
applying a mask over the substrate around the cylindrical surface of the body of the drum;
depositing a sol-gel film including a piezoelectric material over the substrate through openings defined in the mask;
curing the sol-gel film by impinging light onto an exposed surface of the sol-gel film to form a piezoelectric ceramic element.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the light has a wavelength between about 800 nanometers (nm) and about 100 nm.

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sol-gel film is deposited over the mask positioned over the substrate, the openings configured to enable the sol-gel film to pass through the openings to the substrate.

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the light is selectively impinged over a portion of the sol-gel film, such that the portion of the sol-gel film where the light is selectively impinged forms the piezoelectric ceramic element.

5. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sol-gel film is selectively deposited over the substrate, such that a portion of the substrate is substantially free from the sol-gel film.

6. The method of claim 5 , further comprising depositing a resin over the portion of the substrate that is substantially free from the sol-gel film.

7. The method of claim 6 , wherein the resin is an ultraviolet curable resin.

8. The method of claim 1 , further comprising depositing a second sol-gel film over the sol-gel film to form a second layer.

9. The method of claim 8 , wherein the second sol-gel film is deposited after curing the sol-gel film.

10. The method of claim 1 , wherein the sol-gel film comprises a solution of zirconium butoxide, titanium isoproxide, and lead acetate trihydrate.

11. The method of claim 10 , wherein the sol-gel film comprises a PZT powder.

12. A tool for forming a piezoelectric composite material comprising:
a substantially cylindrical substrate support configured to secure a substrate;
a mask configured to clamp the substrate to the cylindrical substrate support, the mask defining openings configured to expose the substrate beneath the mask;
a first deposition device configured to deposit a sol-gel solution on the substrate through the openings defined in the mask;
a second deposition device configured to deposit a resin on the substrate; and
a light configured to cure the sol-gel solution and the resin.

13. The tool of claim 12 , wherein the second deposition device is configured to deposit the resin at substantially a same time as the first deposition device deposits the sol-gel solution.

14. The tool of claim 12 , wherein the first deposition device and the second deposition device are configured to move independent of one another.

15. The tool of claim 12 , wherein the first deposition device and the second deposition device are coupled to a single deposition head.

16. The tool of claim 12 , wherein the light is configured to output light in wavelengths between about 800 nanometers (nm) and about 100 nm.

Assignees

• Baker Hughes Oilfield Operations Llc

Inventors

• Wise Peter Leonard
• Avagliano Aaron
• Sakthivel Navin

Classifications

• H10N30/078 Primary

  by sol-gel deposition · CPC title

• H10N30/852

  Composite materials, e.g. having 1-3 or 2-2 type connectivity · CPC title

• H10N30/092

  Forming composite materials · CPC title

• B06B1/0633

  Cylindrical array · CPC title

• H10N30/081

  by coating or depositing using masks, e.g. lift-off · CPC title