Piezoelectric actuators convert electrical into mechanical energy and are implemented for many large-scale applications such as piezoinjectors and ink jet printers. The performance of these devices is governed by the electric-field-induced strain. Here, the authors describe the development of a class of lead-free (0.94−x)Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3–0.06BaTiO3–xK0.5Na0.5NbO3 ceramics. These can deliver a giant strain (0.45%) under both unipolar and bipolar field loadings, which is even higher than the strain obtained with established ferroelectric Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 ceramics and is comparable to strains obtained in Pb-based antiferroelectrics.

Giant strain in lead-free piezoceramics Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3–BaTiO3–K0.5Na0.5NbO3 system

Giant strain in lead-free piezoceramics Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-BaTiO3-K0.5Na0.6NbO3 system

High strain piezoelectric ceramics are the state-of-the-art materials for high precision, positioning devices. A comprehensive review of the latest developments of the various types of perovskite piezoelectric ceramic systems is presented herein, with special attention given to three promising families of lead-free perovskite ferroelectrics: the barium titanate, alkaline niobate and bismuth perovskites. Included in this review are details of phase transition behavior, strain enhancement approaches, material reliabilities as well as the status of some promising applications. This current review describes both compositional and structural engineering approaches that are intended to achieve enhanced strain properties in perovskite piezoelectric ceramics. The factors that affect the strain behavior of high-strain perovskite piezoelectric ceramics are addressed. The reliability characteristics of these high-strain ferroelectrics as well as the recent approaches to the long-term electrical, thermal and time-stability enhancement are summarized. Several promising applications of high-strain perovskite materials are introduced, which take advantages of their characteristics; examples include high-energy storage, pyroelectric and electro-caloric effect and luminescent properties.

Progress in high-strain perovskite piezoelectric ceramics

Lead-free piezoelectric ceramics, 1� xyBi 0.5 Na 0.5 TiO 3 -xBaTiO 3 -yK 0.5 Na 0.5 NbO 3 0.05x 0.07 and 0.01y 0.03, have been synthesized by a conventional solid state sintering method. The room temperature ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of these ceramics were studied. Based on the measured properties, the ceramics were categorized into two groups: group I compositions having dominant ferroelectric order and group II compositions displaying mixed ferroelectric and antiferroelectric properties at room temperature. A composition from group II near the boundary between these two groups exhibited a strain as large as 0.45% at an electric field of 8k V/ mm. Polarization in this composition was not stable in that the piezoelectric coefficient d33 at zero electric field was only about 30 pm/ V. The converse piezoelectric response becomes weaker when the composition deviated from the boundary between the groups toward either the ferroelectric or antiferroelectric compositions. These results were rationalized based on a field induced antiferroelectric-ferroelectric phase transition. © 2008 American Institute of Physics. DOI: 10.1063/1.2838472

http://scholarworks.unist.ac.kr/bitstream/201301/7442/1/2-s2.0-39349109251.pdf

Lead-free piezoceramics with giant strain in the system Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3–BaTiO3–K0.5Na0.5NbO3. I. Structure and room temperature properties

The temperature dependence of the dielectric and ferroelectric properties of lead-free piezoceramics of the composition (1−x−y)Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3–xBaTiO3–yK0.5Na0.5NbO3 (0.05⩽x⩽0.07, 0.01⩽y⩽0.03) was investigated. Measurements of the polarization and strain hystereses indicate a transition to predominantly antiferroelectric order when heating from room temperature to 150°C, while for 150<T<200°C both remnant polarization and coercive field increase. Frequency-dependent susceptibility measurements show that the transition is relaxorlike. For some samples, the transition temperature Td is high enough to allow mostly ferroelectric ordering at room temperature. These samples show a drastic increase of the usable strain under an external electric field just after the transition into the antiferroelectric state at high temperatures. For the other samples, Td is so low that they display significant antiferroelectric ordering already at room temperature. In these samples, the usable strain is relatively stable over a...

/pdf/lead-free-piezoceramics-with-giant-strain-in-the-system-bi0-4g98gqkfl7.pdf

Lead-free piezoceramics with giant strain in the system Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3–BaTiO3–K0.5Na0.5NbO3. II. Temperature dependent properties

The electric field-induced antiferroelectric (AFE) to ferroelectric (FE) phase transition in lead strontium zirconate titanate (PSZT) ceramics was studied by means of dielectric, polarization, and strain hysteresis measurements. PSZT compositions with varying strontium and Zr/Ti ratio, located in the ferroelectric, antiferroelectric phase regions, and near the AFE/FE phase boundary were prepared. Dielectric properties were measured as a function of temperature for different compositions. The electric field required for AFE–FE phase transition and hysteresis were affected by the temperature and composition. The entropy change during phase transition and the field-induced strain were also measured and discussed.

Effect of composition and temperature on field-induced properties in the lead strontium zirconate titanate system

Undoped and 1–3 at. % Nd3+-doped lead strontium zirconate titanate ceramics, which were located near the tetragonal antiferroelectric (AFE) and rhombohedral ferroelectric (FE) phase boundary, were prepared by tape casting and sintering. The influence of the electric field-induced AFE to FE phase transition on the piezoelectric and strain behavior was studied. Attempts were made to increase the field-induced strain by Nd3+ doping and its effect on the dielectric properties. Room temperature resistivity was also measured and explained by the defects produced. An in situ x-ray diffraction technique was developed for direct observation of the unit cell dimensions associated with the field-induced AFE to FE phase transition. The results indicated that a change in unit cell volume was responsible for the large field-induced strain associated with the AFE–FE phase transition.

Electrical properties and electric field-induced antiferroelectric–ferroelectric phase transition in Nd3+-doped lead strontium zirconate titanate ceramics

The effect of compositional modifications on the field-induced phase-transition behavior and dielectric properties of strontium-doped lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics was studied. PZT compositions with different strontium and titanium contents, within the general formula Pb1–xSrx(Zr1–yTiy)O3 and located in the tetragonal antiferroelectric (AFE) and rhombohedral ferroelectric (FE) phase fields were prepared by tape casting and sintering. X-ray diffraction and polarization measurements were used to locate compositions suitable for investigation of the field-induced AFE–FE phase transition. The results indicated that a higher Sr2+ content decreased the polarization and hysteresis and increased the switching field; a lower Ti4+ content decreased the polarization and increased the switching field and hysteresis. A high room-temperature dielectric constant was obtained for compositions near the phase boundary. These results suggest that a combination of both A-site and B-site modifications can be used to tailor ferroelectric properties, such as the switching field and hysteresis, of these strontium-doped PZTs displaying a field-induced AFE–FE phase transition.

Yongjian Yu

Papers

Effect of composition and temperature on field-induced properties in the lead strontium zirconate titanate system

Electrical properties and electric field-induced antiferroelectric–ferroelectric phase transition in Nd3+-doped lead strontium zirconate titanate ceramics

Phase Stability and Ferroelectric Properties of Lead Strontium Zirconate Titanate Ceramics

Luminescence Property, Color Tunability, and Optical Thermometry Behavior of Bismuth-Europium Codoped Strontium-Anorthite-Type Phosphors