Departmental Papers (MSE)
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of this Version
November 2008
Abstract
High density fine grain (1−x)BiScO3–xPbTiO3 ceramics were successfully prepared by two-step sintering and their ferroelectric properties were investigated. Experimental evidence indicates the existence of a morphotropic phase boundary at the composition zx=0.635, which exhibits a piezoelectric coefficient d33 of 700 pC/N at room temperature, significantly higher than the reported values to date. Furthermore, a higher electromechanical coupling factor Kp=0.632 and a larger remnant polarization Pr=47.3 µC/cm2 were obtained. The paraelectric-to-ferroelectric phase transition occurs at 446 °C, slightly lower than in the coarse grain ceramics with a similar composition, suggesting a grain size effect. The local effective piezoelectric coefficient d33* was estimated to be 795 pC/N at 2.29 V, measured by scanning probe microscopy. Further atomic force microscope observation revealed the existence of 90° domains of about 60–70 nm in width, confirming the previous results that small domain structure enhances the piezoelectric properties.
Keywords
bismuth compounds, dielectric polarisations, electric domains, ferroelectric ceramics, ferroelectric transmissions, grain size, lead compounds, piezoceramics, piezoelectricity, scanning probe microscopy, sintering
Date Posted: 11 December 2008
This document has been peer reviewed.
Comments
© 2008 American Institute of Physics. Reprinted from Applied Physics Letters, Volume 93, Issue 19, November 13, 2008, Article 192913.
Publisher URL: http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.2995861