Crystallization of piezoceramic films on glass via flash lamp annealing

Integration of thin-film oxide piezoelectrics on glass is imperative for the next generation of transparent electronics to attain sensing and actuating functions. However, their crystallization temperature (above 650 °C) is incompatible with most glasses. We developed a flash lamp process for growth of piezoelectric lead zirconate titanate films. The process enables crystallization on various types of glasses in a few seconds only. Functional properties of these films are comparable to the films processed with standard rapid thermal annealing at 700 °C. A surface haptic device was fabricated with a 1 $\text{unicode}x00B5$m-thick film (piezoelectric e${}_{33,f}$ of -5 C m${}^{-2}$). Its ultrasonic surface deflection reached 1.5 $\text{unicode}x00B5$m at 60 V, sufficient for its use in surface rendering applications. This flash lamp annealing process is compatible with large glass sheets and roll-to-roll processing and has the potential to significantly expand the applications of piezoelectric devices on glass.