PEtra: A Flexible and Open-Source PE Loop Tracer for Polymer Thin-Film Transducers

Fuente: arXiv
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Main Authors: Wessner, Marc-Andre, Villani, Federico, Papa, Sofia, Keller, Kirill, Ferrari, Laura, Greco, Francesco, Benini, Luca, Leitner, Christoph
Format: Preprint
Published: 2024
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author Wessner, Marc-Andre
Villani, Federico
Papa, Sofia
Keller, Kirill
Ferrari, Laura
Greco, Francesco
Benini, Luca
Leitner, Christoph
author_facet Wessner, Marc-Andre
Villani, Federico
Papa, Sofia
Keller, Kirill
Ferrari, Laura
Greco, Francesco
Benini, Luca
Leitner, Christoph
contents Accurate characterization of ferroelectric properties in polymer piezoelectrics is critical for optimizing the performance of flexible and wearable ultrasound transducers, such as screen-printed PVDF devices. Standard charge measurement techniques, like the Sawyer-Tower circuit, often fall short when applied to ferroelectric polymers due to low-frequency leakage. In this work, we present PEtra, an open-source and versatile piezoelectric loop tracer. PEtra employs a transimpedance amplifier (LMP7721, TI) to convert picoampere-level currents into measurable voltages, covering a frequency range of 0.1 Hz to 5 Hz for a gain setting of 10^7 V/A, and 0.1 Hz to 200 Hz for gain settings between 10^3 V/A to 10^6 V/A (10-fold increments). We demonstrate through simulations and experimental validations that PEtra achieves a sensitivity down to 2 pA, effectively addressing the limitations of traditional charge measurement methods. Compared to the Sawyer-Tower circuit, PEtra directly amplifies currents without the need for a reference capacitor. As a result, it is less susceptible to leakage and can operate at lower frequencies, improving measurement accuracy and reliability. PEtra's design is fully open source, offering researchers and engineers a versatile tool to drive advancements in flexible PVDF transducer technology.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2410_16581
institution arXiv
publishDate 2024
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle PEtra: A Flexible and Open-Source PE Loop Tracer for Polymer Thin-Film Transducers
Wessner, Marc-Andre
Villani, Federico
Papa, Sofia
Keller, Kirill
Ferrari, Laura
Greco, Francesco
Benini, Luca
Leitner, Christoph
Systems and Control
Instrumentation and Detectors
Accurate characterization of ferroelectric properties in polymer piezoelectrics is critical for optimizing the performance of flexible and wearable ultrasound transducers, such as screen-printed PVDF devices. Standard charge measurement techniques, like the Sawyer-Tower circuit, often fall short when applied to ferroelectric polymers due to low-frequency leakage. In this work, we present PEtra, an open-source and versatile piezoelectric loop tracer. PEtra employs a transimpedance amplifier (LMP7721, TI) to convert picoampere-level currents into measurable voltages, covering a frequency range of 0.1 Hz to 5 Hz for a gain setting of 10^7 V/A, and 0.1 Hz to 200 Hz for gain settings between 10^3 V/A to 10^6 V/A (10-fold increments). We demonstrate through simulations and experimental validations that PEtra achieves a sensitivity down to 2 pA, effectively addressing the limitations of traditional charge measurement methods. Compared to the Sawyer-Tower circuit, PEtra directly amplifies currents without the need for a reference capacitor. As a result, it is less susceptible to leakage and can operate at lower frequencies, improving measurement accuracy and reliability. PEtra's design is fully open source, offering researchers and engineers a versatile tool to drive advancements in flexible PVDF transducer technology.
title PEtra: A Flexible and Open-Source PE Loop Tracer for Polymer Thin-Film Transducers
topic Systems and Control
Instrumentation and Detectors
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2410.16581