Mouser - White Papers

Mouser Electronics White Paper Discovering and Developing the Piezoelectric Effect In the late 1800s, French scientists discovered that applying pressure to specific naturally occurring crystalline structures, such as quartz and tourmaline (Figure 1), produces an electric charge. This phenomenon became known as the piezoelectric effect. Deeper exploration led to the discovery that many crystalline structures exhibit piezoelectricity, including topaz, Rochelle salt, sugars, and even wood. Further studies based on theoretical analysis proved that exposing these crystalline structures to an electric field induces stress in the materials, causing deformation. Over the years, the understanding and application of this electrical deformation concept, the inverse piezoelectric effect, and the piezoelectric effect have evolved from an interesting material property to a fundamental means of realizing transducers and actuators—from advanced audio equipment to inertial sensors and piezosurgery equipment. A major breakthrough in this area was the discovery and development of piezoelectric ceramics, such as barium titanate, which exhibit a higher piezoelectric response compared to naturally occurring crystalline structures. More growth in industrial- and engineering-grade piezoelectric materials has led to substantial improvements in responsiveness and miniaturization. Now, one of the significant modern use cases of piezoelectric materials is in haptic devices (Figure 2). This white paper provides an overview of the basic principles of piezoelectric materials and how they pertain to modern haptic technology. This paper will also share insights into how piezoelectric actuators and sensors are essential to modern haptics and the nuances of leading new haptic actuators. Finally, it will briefly discuss additional advanced material science concepts for piezoelectric devices, haptic feedback design, power management, and piezoelectric device integration into other systems. Figure 1: Natural piezoelectric crystals, engineered piezoelectric ceramics, and non-piezoelectric structures demonstrate the variety of materials used in piezoelectric applications. (Sources: (a) Ekaterina/stock.adobe.com, (b, c) Mouser Electronics) Figure 2: Timeline of piezoelectric advancements, from discovery to modern innovations. (a) Discovery of the piezoelectric effect; (b) Prediction of the inverse piezoelectric effect; (c) First practical application, sonar; (d) Development of synthetic piezoelectric ceramics; (e) Commercial applications of quartz; (f) Piezoelectric transducers in industry; (g) Haptic feedback in smartphones; (h) Modern innovations such as gaming headsets

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