ABSTRACT
This chapter describes the fabrication process of lead zirconium titanate (PZT) thin films and the evaluation method of the piezoelectric characteristics of thin films from the viewpoint of Microelectromechanical system (MEMS) applications. The chapter presents the progress of the lead-free piezoelectric thin films and fundamental examples of microfabricated piezoelectric MEMS actuators. Piezoelectricity is very attractive in the application of micro sensors and actuators. The MEMS technologies have attracted considerable attention in the development of next-generation functional micro devices. For the piezoelectric MEMS, rf-magnetron sputtering is a practical deposition method of PZT films. Micromechanical switches called MEMS switches are the promising devices for the radio-frequency communications, especially in the millimeter wave band. The piezoelectric MEMS deformable mirror consists of a continuous membrane mirror on the backside of which piezoelectric PZT films are deposited on a silicon-on-insulator substrate. The chapter outlines the MEMS technologies integrated with piezoelectric thin films.
