Fabien Resweber | ALQIO: How do you scale multi-material functional surfaces without sacrificing thin-film performance?

Can flexible PVDF polymers replace heavy ceramic piezoelectrics at high temperatures?

Replacing rigid piezoelectric ceramics with flexible polymer alternatives requires precise molecular control. PVDF copolymers and terpolymers must undergo a polling process to orient their molecular dipoles. Once aligned, these flexible films can convert mechanical strain into high-fidelity electrical signals, or conversely, vibrate in response to an applied voltage to serve as actuators or acoustic transmitters.

Unlike brittle piezoelectric ceramics, these co-polymer films are incredibly lightweight, mechanically resilient, and easily formed into complex, conformal geometries. This structural flexibility opens up novel integration pathways in wearable electronics, haptic feedback devices for virtual reality, and lightweight acoustic transducers.

Furthermore, thermal stability remains a critical milestone for organic functional materials. These printed electroactive films maintain robust piezoelectric performance and dipole stability at temperatures reaching up to 130°C, making them suitable for demanding industrial and automotive environments.

In this short video, you can learn:
* The molecular mechanics of PVDF copolymer and terpolymer dipole orientation for piezoelectric and electroactive performance.
* How flexible organic piezoelectrics overcome the mechanical limitations of traditional brittle ceramics.
* The thermal boundaries of printed piezoelectric films, highlighting stable operation up to 130°C.
📋 **Clip Abstract** Learn how flexible PVDF-based copolymers and terpolymers are processed into lightweight electroactive films for advanced haptics and acoustic applications. This clip details the physics of molecular dipole orientation and explains how these organic materials maintain stable performance at high operating temperatures.
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How can you integrate flexible piezoelectric sensors or actuators into your product without handling delicate, thin films?

Alqio presents a practical solution for working with electroactive polymers, specifically P(VDF-TrFE) from their partner Arkema. Instead of providing just the raw film, they have developed a more robust and user-friendly format. This involves coating the functional polymer onto a carrier substrate, which provides the necessary mechanical support for subsequent processing steps.

The product consists of the P(VDF-TrFE) film coated onto a metallized PET substrate. This structure allows the customer to perform critical activation steps, such as annealing and poling, without damaging the delicate active layer. The carrier film makes the entire assembly much easier to handle in a manufacturing environment.

Once the electroactive material has been activated, the functional film can be easily peeled off from the carrier. This freestanding piezoelectric film is then ready for integration into a final device. This approach opens up a wide range of applications, including flexible sensors, haptic actuators, loudspeakers, and even low-power energy harvesting devices.

In this short video, you can learn:
* The structure of a peelable P(VDF-TrFE) film on a carrier substrate.
* How this format simplifies the handling and industrial processing of electroactive polymers.
* The wide range of applications for these films, from sensors and actuators to energy harvesting.

📋 **Clip Abstract**
Alqio details their process for coating Arkema's P(VDF-TrFE) electroactive polymer onto a metallized PET carrier film. This innovative format simplifies handling and allows for easy integration into devices like sensors, actuators, and loudspeakers after the active film is peeled off.
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What does the physical stack architecture of a screen-printed flexible sensor look like?

Designing a reliable, flexible printed sensor requires a robust multilayer stack-up. The process begins with substrate selection, where materials like PET, polyimide, TPU, or even specialized papers are chosen based on the mechanical requirements and operating temperatures of the target application. This substrate must provide stable adhesion for subsequent ink layers.

The functional layers are deposited using high-precision sheet-to-sheet or roll-to-roll screen printing. A typical stack-up consists of a base electrode, a five-to-six-micron active piezoelectric copolymer layer, and a top counter-electrode, all routed to silver ink trace connections. Maintaining tight tolerance on the thickness of the printed piezo layer is critical to ensuring uniform sensor sensitivity and preventing electrical shorting.

To protect the active stack from environmental degradation, moisture, and mechanical wear, a protective lamination or encapsulation layer is applied. This produces a highly sensitive, low-profile sensor capable of capturing dynamic pressure changes and acoustic emissions in harsh environments.

In this short video, you can learn:
* The exact multilayer stack architecture of a printed flexible piezoelectric sensor.
* How substrate selection, from PET to TPU, dictates the mechanical boundaries of the sensor.
* Printing and encapsulation techniques used to deposit 5-6 micron active layers with silver trace connections.
📋 **Clip Abstract** Discover the exact physical layers and manufacturing steps required to build a flexible, ready-to-use printed piezoelectric sensor. This segment details the deposition of a micro-thin active copolymer layer between printed electrodes and discusses the critical role of protective lamination.
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