Thin Film PZT for Semiconductor Application Trends & Technology Update Report

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Jan 31, 2014, 03:00 ET

DUBLIN, Ireland, January 31, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --

Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/6t5r7k/thin_film_pzt_for) has announced the addition of the "Thin Film PZT for Semiconductor Application Trends & Technology Update Report" report to their offering.
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The most promising effect of thin film PZT for future aplications would certainly be its piezoelectric effect

In September 2013, EPSON has announced its next generation inkjet technology, PrecisionCore, introducing for the first time MEMS inkjet heads manufactured with thin film PZT technology. This announcement has been highly publicized: First, thin film PZT MEMS applications are now on the market, proving the reliability and maturity of this technology! Second, more inkjet head players will soon follow.

Thin film piezoelectric materials are gaining increasingly more importance within the MEMS industry. Although semiconductor manufacturing companies are historically reluctant to introduce such exotic materials into their production lines, every major MEMS foundry nowadays is working on the implementation and qualification of piezoelectric thin film in their MEMS manufacturing processes.

Lead zirconium titanate or PZT (Pb[ZrxTi1-x]O3 with 0=x=1)) is a very interesting ferroelectric material. Depending on its composition, it has the advantage of combining 3 different material properties: high dielectric constant, pyroelectric effect and piezoelectric effect.

Its high dielectric constant property is still extensively being used with the integration of thin film PZT in Integrated Passives Devices (IPDs) and to a lesser extent in Ferroelectric memories (FeRAM). These have been the 2 leading applications for thin film PZT for many years. NXP Semiconductors and STMicroelectronics dominate this IPD market.

The pyroelectric effect of PZT is today being used by Pyreos for thin film PZT based uncooled Infrared detectors, although this thin film PZT based technology remains quite marginal in this field.

The most promising effect of PZT for future applications would certainly be its piezoelectric effect.

Companies like Wavelens and PoLight are extensively working on the introduction of their autofocus based products to the market using thin film PZT technology. This profusion of new MEMS applications using thin film PZT technology is just beginning.

Key Topics Covered:

Glossary

Motivations and objectives of the report

Who should be interested in this report?

Companies cited in this report

Definitions, limitations and methodology

1. Executive summary

2. Focus on ferroelectric definitions and effect

3. Thin film PZT applications

4. Market analysis for thin film PZT applications

5. Thin film PZT market players

6. Thin film piezoelectric deposition techniques & materials

7. Thin film PZT manufacturing challenges

8. R&D European projects on thin film PZT

9. Other piezoelectric materials

General conclusions