Piezoelectric thin-film sensor

1. A piezoelectric sensor comprising:

a support structure;

a channel extending through the support structure;

a sensing material stack coupled to the support structure and extending over the channel, wherein the sensing material stack comprises:

a structural layer;

a first electrode layer disposed on the structural layer;

a piezoelectric material disposed in a piezoelectric layer on the first electrode layer; and

a second electrode disposed on the piezoelectric layer opposite the first electrode layer; and

a filler material disposed within the channel and over the sensing material stack.

2. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the sensing material stack further comprises a piezoresistive layer.

3. The sensor of claim 2 , wherein the piezoresistive layer is coupled to a Wheatstone bridge circuit.

4. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the support structure has a bulk modulus, wherein the filler material has a bulk modulus, and wherein a ratio of the bulk modulus of the support structure to the bulk modulus of the filler material is between about 10 and about 1,000,000.

5. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the filler material comprises a shear thickening material.

6. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the sensing material stack is about 5 microns or less.

7. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein a thickness of the support structure is between about 0.01 millimeter to about 1.0 millimeter.

8. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric material comprises lead zirconate titanate, lead magnesium niobate-lead zirconate titanate, lead zirconate niobate-lead zirconate titanate, aluminum nitride, zinc oxide, quartz, tourmaline, an Al—Sc—N ternary alloy, or any combination thereof.

9. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the filler material comprises silicone rubber, natural rubber, a polymer, polyurethane, epoxies, adhesive resins, or any combination thereof.

10. The sensor of claim 1 , wherein the piezoelectric material comprises an oriented crystal structure.