Microconfigured piezoelectric artificial materials for hydrophones

Piezoelectric PZT–air composites with a complex design optimized for hydrophones were fabricated as arrays of hundreds of 60 l units using a microfabrication technique involving coextrusion of mixtures of thermoplastic with PZT powder or carbon powder. The measured piezoelectric coefficient was 300 pC/N with a figure of merit of 18 pm2/N, in excellent agreement with the predicted properties.