A Thin Flexible Acoustic Transducer with piezoelectric-actuated microdomes for Underwater Communication

This paper presents a flexible thin-film underwater transducer based on a mesoporous PVDF membrane embedded with piezoelectrical-actuated microdomes. To enhance piezoelectric performance, ZnO nanoparticles were used as a sacrificial template to fabricate a sponge-like PVDF structure with increased \b{eta}-phase content and improved mechanical compliance. The device was modeled using finite element analysis and optimized through parametric studies of dome geometry, film thickness, and dome size. Acoustic performance was evaluated through underwater testing, demonstrating high SPL output and reliable data transmission even at low drive voltages. The proposed transducer offers a lightweight, low-cost, and energy-efficient solution for short-range underwater communication in next-generation Ocean IoT systems.