Engineering of piezoelectric properties in ferroelectric ceramics and thinfilms

The paper discusses different possibilities for controlling piezoelectric p roperties of ferroelectric materials and devices. The piezoelectric propert ies engineering can be made on different scales. Tuning of the piezoelectri c response by controlling contributions from domain walls displacement is u sed to illustrate engineering on nanometer scale. Texture control in ferroe lectric films and grain size control is discussed as an example of property control on micrometer scale. Finally, engineering on macroscopic (millimet er) scale is illustrated by amplification methods employed in multilayer ac tuators and different bimorph-type structures as well as by control of elec tro-mechanical properties in polymer-ceramic composites.