Bio-inspired piezoelectric artificial hair cell sensor fabricated by powder injection molding

A piezoelectric artificial hair cell sensor was fabricated by the powder injection molding process in order to make an acoustic vector hydrophone. The entire process of powder injection molding was developed and optimized for PMN-PZT ceramic powder. The artificial hair cell sensor, which consists of high aspect ratio hair cell and three rectangular mechanoreceptors, was precisely fabricated through the developed powder injection molding process. The density and the dielectric property of the fabricated sensor shows 98% of the theoretical density and 85% of reference dielectric property of PMN-PZT ceramic powder. With regard to homogeneity, three rectangular mechanoreceptors have the same dimensions, with 3 mu m of tolerance with 8% of deviation of dielectric property. Packaged vector hydrophones measure the underwater acoustic signals from 500 to 800 Hz with - 212 dB of sensitivity. Directivity of vector hydrophone was acquired at 600 Hz as analyzing phase differences of electric signals.