Dielectric properties, lattice‐ and microstructure of ceramic BaTiO3 showing grain sizes of 0.3–100 μm were studied. At grain sizes <10 μm the width of ferroelectric 90° domains decreases proportionally to the square root of the grain diameter. The decreasing width of the domains can be theoretically explained by the equilibrium of elastic field energy and domain wall energy. The smaller the grains, the more the dielectric and the elastic constants are determined by the contribution of 90° domain walls. The permittivity below the Curie point shows a pronounced maximum er ≊5000 at grain sizes 0.8–1 μm. At grain sizes <0.7 μm the permittivity strongly decreases and the lattice gradually changes from tetragonal to pseudocubic.

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Dielectric properties of fine‐grained barium titanate ceramics

Dielectric materials, which store energy electrostatically, are ubiquitous in advanced electronics and electric power systems. Compared to their ceramic counterparts, polymer dielectrics have higher breakdown strengths and greater reliability, are scalable, lightweight and can be shaped into intricate configurations, and are therefore an ideal choice for many power electronics, power conditioning, and pulsed power applications. However, polymer dielectrics are limited to relatively low working temperatures, and thus fail to meet the rising demand for electricity under the extreme conditions present in applications such as hybrid and electric vehicles, aerospace power electronics, and underground oil and gas exploration. Here we describe crosslinked polymer nanocomposites that contain boron nitride nanosheets, the dielectric properties of which are stable over a broad temperature and frequency range. The nanocomposites have outstanding high-voltage capacitive energy storage capabilities at record temperatures (a Weibull breakdown strength of 403 megavolts per metre and a discharged energy density of 1.8 joules per cubic centimetre at 250 degrees Celsius). Their electrical conduction is several orders of magnitude lower than that of existing polymers and their high operating temperatures are attributed to greatly improved thermal conductivity, owing to the presence of the boron nitride nanosheets, which improve heat dissipation compared to pristine polymers (which are inherently susceptible to thermal runaway). Moreover, the polymer nanocomposites are lightweight, photopatternable and mechanically flexible, and have been demonstrated to preserve excellent dielectric and capacitive performance after intensive bending cycles. These findings enable broader applications of organic materials in high-temperature electronics and energy storage devices.

Flexible high-temperature dielectric materials from polymer nanocomposites

Multiferroics, defined for those multifunctional materials in which two or more kinds of fundamental ferroicities coexist, have become one of the hottest topics of condensed matter physics and materials science in recent years. The coexistence of several order parameters in multiferroics brings out novel physical phenomena and offers possibilities for new device functions. The revival of research activities on multiferroics is evidenced by some novel discoveries and concepts, both experimentally and theoretically. In this review, we outline some of the progressive milestones in this stimulating field, especially for those single-phase multiferroics where magnetism and ferroelectricity coexist. First, we highlight the physical concepts of multiferroicity and the current challenges to integrate the magnetism and ferroelectricity into a single-phase system. Subsequently, we summarize various strategies used to combine the two types of order. Special attention is paid to three novel mechanisms for multiferroicity generation: (1) the ferroelectricity induced by the spin orders such as spiral and E-phase antiferromagnetic spin orders, which break the spatial inversion symmetry; (2) the ferroelectricity originating from the charge-ordered states; and (3) the ferrotoroidic system. Then, we address the elementary excitations such as electromagnons, and the application potentials of multiferroics. Finally, open questions and future research opportunities are proposed.

Multiferroicity: the coupling between magnetic and polarization orders

Potassium-sodium niobate lead-free piezoelectric materials: past, present, and future of phase boundaries.

Thin film piezoelectric materials offer a number of advantages in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS), due to the large motions that can be generated, often with low hysteresis, the high available energy densities, as well as high sensitivity sensors with wide dynamic ranges, and low power requirements This paper reviews the literature in this field, with an emphasis on the factors that impact the magnitude of the available piezoelectric response For non-ferroelectric piezoelectrics such as ZnO and AlN, the importance of film orientation is discussed The high available electrical resistivity in AlN, its compatibility with CMOS processing, and its high frequency constant make it especially attractive in resonator applications The higher piezoelectric response available in ferroelectric films enables lower voltage operation of actuators, as well as high sensitivity sensors Among ferroelectric films, the majority of the MEMS sensors and actuators developed have utilized lead zirconate titanate (PZT) films as the transducer Randomly oriented PZT films show piezoelectric e(31, f) coefficients of about - 7 C/m(2) at the morphotropic phase boundary In PZT films, orientation, composition, grain size, defect chemistry, and mechanical boundary conditions all impact the observed piezoelectric coefficients The highest achievable piezoelectric responses can be observed in {001} oriented rhombohedrally-distorted perovskites For a variety of such films, e(31,f) coefficients of - 12 to - 27 C/m(2) have been reported

Thin Film Piezoelectrics for MEMS

Temperature-dependent dielectric permittivity of 0.94(Bi1/2Na1/2)TiO3-0.06BaTiO3 (BNT-6BT) lead-free piezoceramics was studied to disentangle the existing unclear issues over the crystallographic aspects and phase stability of the system. Application of existing phenomenological relaxor models enabled the relaxor contribution to the entire dielectric permittivity spectra to be deconvoluted. The deconvoluted data in comparison with the temperature-dependent dielectric permittivity of a classical perovskite relaxor, La-modified lead zirconate titanate, clearly suggest that BNT-6BT belongs to the same relaxor category, which was also confirmed by a comparative study on the temperature- dependent polarization hysteresis loops of both materials. Based on these results, we propose that the low-temperature dielectric anomaly does not involve any phase transition such as ferroelectric- to-antiferroelectric. Supported by transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction experiments at ambient temperature, we propose that the commonly observed two dielectric anomalies are attributed to thermal evolution of ferroelectric polar nanoregions of R3c and P4bm symmetry, which coexist nearly throughout the entire temperature range and reversibly transform into each other with temperature.

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On the phase identity and its thermal evolution of lead free (Bi1/2Na1/2)TiO3-6 mol% BaTiO3

Ceramics with compositions in the solid solution region of the ZrO2-TiO2-SnO2 equilibrium diagram are finding wide application as dielectrics in filters for communications and radar systems operating at microwave frequencies. Commercially available compositions often incorporate sintering aids and dopants to reduce processing temperatures and modify the dielectric properties. However, the mechanism through which these additives influence dielectric loss is not obvious. The role of zinc oxide as a sintering aid and lanthanum and niobium as dopants, their effect upon microstructural development and their correlation with dielectric loss at microwave frequencies were investigated. For specimens of density greater than 90% theoretical, the influences of defect chemistry upon dielectric loss appear to dominate those of the microstructure. Properties close to those which might be considered intrinsic were attained through sintering for periods of up to 128h. Doping with lanthanum is detrimental to the dielectric loss, particularly after long sintering times.

Relationships between dopants, microstructure and the microwave dielectric properties of ZrO2-TiO2-SnO2 ceramics

The possible domain states of perovskite ferroelectrics under applied fields are reviewed and, as an illustration, a phenomenological study of barium titanate is carried out. Electric field-temperature phase diagrams, the polarization, and the lattice strain of barium titanate single crystals are calculated from the Landau–Ginzburg–Devonshire theory of ferroelectrics for applied fields up to 20 MV m−1 and for temperatures from 1 to 450 K. The calculations are carried out for fields applied along the pseudocubic [001], [101], and [111] axes, revealing the temperature and field dependence of all the ferroelectric phase transitions. Large piezoelectric coefficients can be identified close to field-induced transitions. Good agreement is seen with experimental data for the piezoelectric coefficient parallel to [001] over a wide range of temperature. The series of transitions predicted for increasing field parallel to [111] at room temperature is qualitatively similar to that observed experimentally but with so...

Phenomenologically derived electric field-temperature phase diagrams and piezoelectric coefficients for single crystal barium titanate under fields along different axes

Requirements for the transfer of lead-free piezoceramics into application

It was observed that the dielectric permittivity of PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3 (PMN) relaxer ceramics increases with increasing amplitude of the applied ac field. A strong nonlinearity occurs at temperatures where the frequency dispersion of the dielectric response is observed. A similarity was found between the effects of the amplitude and frequency on the permittivity. It was shown that, taken together, these data evidence that the relaxation phenomena in PMN are controlled by domain-type dynamics rather than thermally activated flips of the local spontaneous polarization.

Andrew J. Bell

Papers

On the phase identity and its thermal evolution of lead free (Bi1/2Na1/2)TiO3-6 mol% BaTiO3

Relationships between dopants, microstructure and the microwave dielectric properties of ZrO2-TiO2-SnO2 ceramics

Phenomenologically derived electric field-temperature phase diagrams and piezoelectric coefficients for single crystal barium titanate under fields along different axes

Requirements for the transfer of lead-free piezoceramics into application

Evidence for domain-type dynamics in the ergodic phase of the PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3 relaxor ferroelectric.