Ferroelectric ceramics were born in the early 1940s with the discovery of the phenomenon of ferroelectricity as the source of the unusually high dielectric constant in ceramic barium titanate capacitors. Since that time, they have been the heart and soul of several multibillion dollar industries, ranging from high-dielectric-constant capacitors to later developments in piezoelectric transducers, positive temperature coefficient devices, and electrooptic light valves. Materials based on two compositional systems, barium titanate and lead zirconate titanate, have dominated the field throughout their history. The more recent developments in the field of ferroelectric ceramics, such as medical ultrasonic composites, high-displacement piezoelectric actuators (Moonies, RAINBOWS), photostrictors, and thin and thick films for piezoelectric and integrated-circuit applications have served to keep the industry young amidst its growing maturity. Various ceramic formulations, their form (bulk, films), fabrication, function (properties), and future are described in relation to their ferroelectric nature and specific areas of application.

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Ferroelectric ceramics : History and technology

The dielectric relaxation of a solid solution of 10‐mol % lead titanate in lead magnesium niobate is found to be similar to the magnetic relaxation in spin‐glass systems.1–3 Based on this analogy, it is proposed that the relaxor ferroelectric is a polar‐glassy system which has thermally activated polarization fluctuations above a static freezing temperature. An activation energy and freezing temperature of 0.0407 eV and 291.5 K, respectively, were found by analyzing the frequency dependence of the temperature of the dielectric maximum using the Vogel–Fulcher relationship.4,5 It has also been shown that a macroscopic polarization is sustained on heating up to this freezing temperature. A coupling between nanometer scale clusters is believed to control the kinetics of the fluctuations and the development of a frustration as the system freezes into states of local equilibrium. The possibility of an orientational freezing associated with the ferroelastic nature of the nanosized polar regions in the rhombohedr...

Freezing of the polarization fluctuations in lead magnesium niobate relaxors

Ferroelectrics are essential components in a wide range of applications, including ultrasonic transducers, sensors, and actuators. In the single crystal form, relaxor-PbTiO3 (PT) piezoelectric materials have been extensively studied due to their ultrahigh piezoelectric and electromechanical properties. In this article, a perspective and future development of relaxor-PT crystals are given. Initially, various techniques for the growth of relaxor-PT crystals are reviewed, with crystals up to 100 mm in diameter and 200 mm in length being readily achievable using the Bridgman technique. Second, the characterizations of dielectric and electromechanical properties are surveyed. Boundary conditions, including temperature, electric field, and stress, are discussed in relation to device limitations. Third, the physical origins of the high piezoelectric properties and unique loss characteristics in relaxor-PT crystals are discussed with respect to their crystal structure, phase, engineered domain configuration, macr...

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High performance ferroelectric relaxor-PbTiO3 single crystals: Status and perspective

Synchrotron x-ray powder diffraction measurements have been performed on unpoled ceramic samples of $(1\ensuremath{-}x)\mathrm{Pb}({\mathrm{Mg}}_{1/3}{\mathrm{Nb}}_{2/3}){\mathrm{O}}_{3}\ensuremath{-}x{\mathrm{PbTiO}}_{3}$ (PMN-xPT) with $30%l~xl~39%$ as a function of temperature around the morphotropic phase boundary, which is the line separating the rhombohedral and tetragonal phases in the phase diagram. The experiments have revealed very interesting features previously unknown in this or related systems. The sharp and well-defined diffraction profiles observed at high and intermediate temperatures in the cubic and tetragonal phases, respectively, are in contrast to the broad features encountered at low temperatures. These peculiar characteristics, which are associated with the monoclinic phase of ${\mathrm{M}}_{C}$-type previously reported by Kiat et al. [Phys. Rev. B 65, 064106 (2000)] and Singh and Pandey [J. Phys. Condens Matter 13, L931 (2001)], can only be interpreted as multiple coexisting structures with ${\mathrm{M}}_{C}$ as the major component. An analysis of the diffraction profiles has allowed us to properly characterize the PMN-xPT phase diagram and to determine the stability region of the monoclinic phase, which extends from $x=31%$ to $x=37%$ at 20 K. The complex lansdcape of observed phases points to an energy balance between the different PMN-xPT phases which is intrinsically much more delicate than that of related systems such as ${\mathrm{PbZr}}_{1\ensuremath{-}x}{\mathrm{Ti}}_{x}{\mathrm{O}}_{3}$ or $(1\ensuremath{-}x)\mathrm{Pb}({\mathrm{Zn}}_{1/3}{\mathrm{Nb}}_{1/3}){\mathrm{O}}_{3}\ensuremath{-}x{\mathrm{PbTiO}}_{3}.$ These observations are in good accord with an optical study of $x=33%$ by Xu et al. [Phys. Rev. B 64, 020102 (2001)], who observed monoclinic domains with several different polar directions coexisting with rhombohedral domains, in the same single crystal.

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Phase diagram of the ferroelectric relaxor (1-x)PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3-xPbTiO3

Dielectric properties are reported for lead magnesium niobate (PbMg1/3Nb2/3/O3) ceramics which were prepared as single phase (i.e., without pyrochlore) with an improved technique. Dielectric constants of 18000 for pure PMN and 31000 for PMN with 10% PbTiO3 were achieved; these values are 50% larger than those reported in the literature. The dielectric constant of PMN ceramics was found to increase with both sintering temperature and excess MgO, and subsequent analysis of the microstructures confirmed that this was due to an increase in grain size. This grain-size dependence is explained as a consequence of low-permittivity grain boundaries.

Dielectric properties of lead-magnesium niobate ceramics

Fabrication of perovskite lead magnesium niobate

Dielectric properties of pyrochlore lead magnesium niobate

A fabrication process has been developed by which Bi4Ti3O12 can be made in ceramic form with high densities (92% theoretical) and substantial grain orientations (>95%). The process consists of molten salt synthesis of platelets of Bi4Ti3O12, tape casting, and conventional sintering. Electrical measurements have verified the high degree of grain orientation obtained in these ceramics. Permittivities in the a-b oriented direction (along the plane of the tape) and the c oriented direction (perpendicular to the plane of the tape) at 100 KHz are 153 ± 5 and 118 ± 5, respectively. Conductivities at 1 KHz and 500°C in the a-b and c oriented directions are 6.3 × 10−2 and 4.2 × 10−3 (ohm-m)−1, respectively. The c oriented direction was poled to a d33 of 5 × 10−12 C/N with the application of a DC field. The a-b oriented direction was poled to a d33 of 10 × 10−12 C/N with the application of a pulsed field on cooling through the transition.

Fabrication and electrical properties of grain oriented Bi4Ti3O12 ceramics

Etude du frittage et des proprietes dielectriques de ceramiques electrotechniques de ce type a structure perovskite

S. L. Swartz

Papers

Fabrication of perovskite lead magnesium niobate

Dielectric properties of lead-magnesium niobate ceramics

Dielectric properties of pyrochlore lead magnesium niobate

Fabrication and electrical properties of grain oriented Bi4Ti3O12 ceramics

Dielectric properties in the Pb (Fe1/2Nb1/2) O3−Pb (Ni1/3Nb2/3)O3 solid-solution system