Enhancing piezoelectric sensing properties of DLP-printed PZT ceramics through controlled powder light absorption

Digital light processing (DLP) printing of PbZrTiO₃ (PZT) ceramics is significantly hampered by the inherent high light absorption of the powder, leading to detrimental defects such as shrinkage and cracking, which severely compromise the final sensor performance. Herein, we propose a strategy to modulate the light absorption of PZT powder by mixing compositions calcined at different temperatures. By optimizing the mass ratio of P860 to P1150 to 1:9, we achieved a suspension with enhanced curing depth and rheological properties, enabling the fabrication of high-density ceramics with a piezoelectric constant of 470 pC/N. Furthermore, a sophisticated sandwiched piezoelectric sensor, architected with crossed square columns, demonstrated exceptional electromechanical performance, generating an open-circuit voltage of 278 V and a short-circuit current of 2.19 μA. This design conferred a piezoelectric sensitivity approximately 7 times greater than bulk counterparts. Remarkably, despite its compact size of merely 1.3 cm × 1.3 cm, this sensor still achieves a transmission power of 5.2 mW during underwater remote energy transfer over a distance of 400 mm. This work establishes a viable pathway for fabricating next-generation high-performance PZT piezoelectric sensors via advanced DLP processing.