Optically Transparent Piezoelectric Materials

[tenpinfaze]

Does anyone know of any optically transparent (and preferably thin) piezoelectric materials I could use for a science fair project converting pressure on the glass of touch screens to electrical energy?

 

[Baluncore]

Quartz.
See also: http://articles.latimes.com/1989-12-04/local/me-112_1_ocean-power

 

[tenpinfaze]

Quartz.
See also: http://articles.latimes.com/1989-12-04/local/me-112_1_ocean-power

I was looking for a way to use the piezoelectric quartz without having to metallize the top layer in order to utilize the electrical discharge.

 

[Baluncore]

I was looking for a way to use the piezoelectric quartz without having to metallize the top layer in order to utilize the electrical discharge.

Surfaces can be conductive and transparent. The voltage signal produced by quartz has a very low current. That means you can print many thin conductive patterns on the surface that measures the position of the contact.

Another way is to coat the entire back and front surfaces with a very thin resistive material. Ground the front edges, but make connections to the back left and right, top and bottom edges. Touching the surface will produce currents at two opposite edges that are proportional to position between those edges.