Design and fabrication of piezoelectric nanocomposite structures for microdevice applications

We present a new group of piezoelectric nanocomposite thin films based on integrating piezoelectric material poly(vinylidene fluoride) and nanoparticles of barium titanate in a matrix of an organic polymer poly(methyl methacrylate). Implementation of piezoelectric properties in designed new nanocomposites allows us not only to increase the sensitivity and functionality of the overall system, where this material is used, but also to expand the application fields in sensing and actuating systems. Results implied that new nanostructures fabricated by nanoimprint lithography exhibit good piezoelectric, surface, and mechanical properties and allow independent control of tribological properties. Formed nanocomposite systems were integrated in designing optical components employed in medicine for sensing applications. (C) The Authors. Published by SPIE under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License. Distribution or reproduction of this work in whole or in part requires full attribution of the original publication, including its DOI.