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Showing papers on "Ferroelectric ceramics published in 2020"


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the relationship among the structure, dielectric, and impedance properties of Sr2+ substituted barium titanate (BST) ceramics is investigated. But, the analysis is limited to the case where the as-prepared samples are characterized by X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy.

181 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors comprehensively summarize the research progress of lead-free dielectric ceramics for energy storage, including ferroelectric, composite, and multilayer capacitors.
Abstract: Energy storage materials and their applications have attracted attention among both academic and industrial communities. Over the past few decades, extensive efforts have been put on the development of lead-free high-performance dielectric capacitors. In this review, we comprehensively summarize the research progress of lead-free dielectric ceramics for energy storage, including ferroelectric ceramics, composite ceramics, and multilayer capacitors. The results indicate that dielectric capacitors with both high energy density and high efficiency are feasible using the materials providing high breakdown electric field and a slim hysteresis loop. This article also lists the factors affecting the fabrication cost of dielectric capacitors, such as sintering temperature, raw material costs, and types of internal electrodes, to promote the industrial application of ceramic energy storage capacitors.

138 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a second component, namely, SrZrO3, was introduced into the K0.5NbO3 (KNN) ceramics to enlarge the breakdown field strength.

134 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors review the current understanding of size and scaling effects in perovskite ferroelectric ceramics and, in particular, in BaTiO3.
Abstract: Ferroelectric perovskites such as BaTiO3 and Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 are well-suited for a variety of applications including piezoelectric transducers and actuators, multilayer ceramic capacitors, thermistors with positive temperature coefficient, ultrasonic and electro-optical devices. Ferroelectricity arises from the long-range ordering of elemental dipoles which determines the appearance of a macroscopic polarization and a spontaneous lattice strain. The confinement of a ferroelectric system in a small volume produces a perturbation of the polar order because of the high fraction of surface atoms and ferroelectricity vanishes when the size of the material is reduced below a critical dimension. This critical size is of a few nanometres in the case of epitaxial thin films and of 10−20 nm for nanoparticles and nanoceramics. The change in properties with decreasing physical dimensions is usually referred to as size effect. Thin films and ceramics are particularly prone to show size effects. A progressive variation of dielectric, elastic and piezoelectric properties of ferroelectric ceramics is already observed when the grain size is reduced below ≈10 μm, i.e. at a length scale much larger than the critical size. In this case it is more appropriate to refer to scaling effects as they are not related to material confinement. The aim of this contribution is to review the current understanding of size and scaling effects in perovskite ferroelectric ceramics and, in particular, in BaTiO3. After a short survey on the intrinsic limits of ferroelectricity and on the impact of particle/grain size on phase transitions, the role of interfaces such as ferroelectric/ferroelastic domain walls and grain boundaries in scaling of dielectric and piezoelectric properties will be discussed in detail. Multiple mechanisms combine to produce the observed scaling effects and the maximization of the dielectric constant and piezoelectric properties exhibited by BaTiO3 ceramics for an intermediate grain size of ≈1 μm. The broad dispersion of experimental data is determined by spurious effects related to synthesis, processing and variation of Ba/Ti ratio. Furthermore, we will consider these size effects, and other properties in relation to the downsizing the modern multilayer BaTiO3 based capacitors.

115 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the effect of lithium doping on the structural and electrical properties of ferroelectric ceramics LixSr1-xTiO3 has been investigated, and it was found that an increase in lithium during the synthesis leads to phase transformations of the type Sr TiO3/TiO2 → SrTiO 3/ TiO2/Li2Ti3O7 → Sr

103 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: F fluorine substitution is applied to successfully design a multiaxial molecular ferroelectric, 3-fluoro-quinuclidinium perrhenate ([3-F-Q]ReO4), whose macroscopic ferro electricity can be realized in both powder compaction and thin-film forms, and makes it an ideal candidate for flexible and wearable devices, and biomechanical applications.
Abstract: For a century ferroelectricity has attracted widespread interest from science and industry Inorganic ferroelectric ceramics have dominated multibillion dollar industries of electronic ceramics, ranging from nonvolatile memories to piezoelectric sonar or ultrasonic transducers, whose polarization can be reoriented in multiple directions so that they can be used in the ceramic and thin-film forms However, the realization of macroscopic ferroelectricity in the polycrystalline form is challenging for molecular ferroelectrics In pursuit of low-cost, biocompatible, and mechanically flexible alternatives, the development of multiaxial molecular ferroelectrics is imminent Here, from quinuclidinium perrhenate, we applied fluorine substitution to successfully design a multiaxial molecular ferroelectric, 3-fluoroquinuclidinium perrhenate ([3-F-Q]ReO4), whose macroscopic ferroelectricity can be realized in both powder compaction and thin-film forms The fluorination effect not only increases the intrinsic polarization but also reduces the coercive field strength More importantly, it is also, as far as we know, the softest of all known molecular ferroelectrics, whose low Vickers hardness of 105 HV is comparable with that in poly(vinylidene difluoride) (PVDF) but almost 2 orders of magnitude lower than that in BaTiO3 These attributes make it an ideal candidate for flexible and wearable devices and biomechanical applications

87 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a synergistic design strategy is proposed to enhance the piezoelectricity in lead-free piezoceramics by flattening the Gibbs free energy density profile, via the coexistence of multiple phases and local structural heterogeneity.

85 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a lead-free Pb(Zr,Ti)O3-based ceramics with pseudo-cubic phase was studied, exhibiting high electric-field-induced strain of 0.38% (60 kV/cm) with large signal piezoelectric coefficient d33* of 720 kpm/V (40 kv/cm).

81 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the change in B-site vacancy concentration for heterovalent substituted barium titanate (BaTiO3, BT) based ferroelectrics was investigated using Raman spectroscopy.
Abstract: Defects, in particular vacancies, play a crucial role in substituted perovskite systems, influencing the structural features that underpin ferroelectricity. B-site vacancies introduce cation disorder in the perovskite lattice and are in fact one of the main driving forces for relaxor behaviour in barium titanate (BaTiO3, BT) based ferroelectrics. In this work, material systems are carefully selected to qualitatively study the change in B-site vacancy concentration for heterovalent substituted BT-based ferroelectric polycrystals. Raman spectroscopy was used to investigate those systems, and B-site vacancy specific Raman modes were identified unambiguously by comparison with charge-compensated BT, where B-site vacancies are absent. This study validates the hypothesis that vacancies induce Raman scattering because of symmetry breaking in the BT lattice, establishing this method as a vital tool to study substitutional defects in ceramic materials.

57 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, relaxor ferroelectrics have attracted much attention as electric energy storage materials for intermittent energy storage because of their high saturated polarization, near-zero remnant polarizations, and considerable dielectric breakdown strength (BDS).

50 citations


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Self-powered photodetectors based on infrared light stimulated photovoltaic effect or/and transparent ferroelectric ceramics with excellent piezoelectric/ferroelectric properties are applied for the first time for 405 nm and near infrared light.
Abstract: Transparent ferroelectrics, with promising prospects in transparent optoelectronic devices, have unique advantages in self-powered photodetection. The self-powered photodetectors based on the photovoltaic effect have quicker responses and higher stability compared with those based on the pyroelectric effect. However, the ferroelectric ceramics previously applied are always opaque and have no infrared light-stimulated photovoltaic effect. Thus, it would be very meaningful to design photodetectors based on infrared light-stimulated photovoltaic effect and/or transparent ferroelectric ceramics. In this work, highly optical transparent pristine lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT) and band gap-engineered Ni-doped PLZT ceramics with excellent piezoelectric/ferroelectric properties were prepared by hot-pressing sintering. Stable and excellent photovoltaic performance was obtained for pristine PLZT and band gap-engineered PLZT. The value of short-circuit current density is at least 2 orders of magnitude larger than those in PLZT reported in previous works. The transparent PLZT and Ni-doped PLZT ferroelectric ceramics are applied as self-powered photodetectors for the first time for 405 nm and near-infrared light, respectively. The devices based on PLZT under 405 nm light exhibit high detectivity (7.15 × 107 Jones) and quick response (9.5 ms for rise and 11.5 ms for decay), and those devices based on Ni-doped PLZT, under near-infrared light filtered from AM 1.5 G simulated sunlight, also exhibit high detectivity (6.86 × 107 Jones) and short response time (8.5 ms), both presenting great potential for future transparent photodetectors.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: This work provides important guidelines for developing novel ceramics with significantly enhanced functional properties and low synthesis temperature in the future and can also greatly expand application fields of piezoceramics to high-performance, miniaturized electronic devices with multilayer structures.
Abstract: High-performance piezoelectrics are pivotal to various electronic applications including multilayer actuators, sensors, and energy harvesters. Despite the presence of high Lotgering factor F001, tw...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the defect dipoles in acceptor-doped perovskite-based ferroelectric ceramics play an important role in piezoelectric properties.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, multicatalytic activities of ferroelectric ceramics Ba0.85Ca0.15Ti0.9Zr0.1O3 (BCZTO) were studied.
Abstract: Multicatalytic activities (photocatalysis, piezocatalysis, and pyrocatalysis) of ferroelectric ceramics Ba0.85Ca0.15Ti0.9Zr0.1O3 (BCZTO) were studied. Maximum degradations (89% and 81%) were achieved in piezo-photocatalytic experiments for degradation of Rhodamine B (RB) and ciprofloxacin. Similarly, 95% degradation of RB was achieved during pyrocatalysis in 250 heating/cooling cycles. Antibacterial performance of ceramics was analyzed with the help of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria-killing processes. The bacterial colony formation drops to zero in 90 min with poled samples of BCZTO ceramics. The poled samples performed much better than that of the unpoled samples in all the catalytic reactions as well as in the bacterial killing process.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the integration of photoluminescence, photochromism, luminescence modulation and thermoluminecence has been achieved in the Pr3+ doped (KxNa1-x)NbO3:Pr3+ ferroelectric ceramics.
Abstract: It is highly significant to develop multifunctional optical materials to meet the huge demand of modern optics. Usually, it is difficult to realize multiple optical properties in one single material. In this study, we choose ferroelectric (KxNa1-x)NbO3:Pr3+ (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.3, 0.4, 0.5) as hosts, and the rare earth ions Pr3+ are doped in them. For the first time, the integration of photoluminescence, photochromism, luminescence modulation and thermoluminescence and has been achieved in the Pr3+ doped (KxNa1-x)NbO3:Pr3+ ferroelectric ceramics. Upon 337- or 448-nm light irradiation, all samples show strong red emissions centered at 610 nm. The photochromic reaction increases with the increasing K+ content in the (KxNa1-x)NbO3:Pr3+ ceramics. A strong photochromic reaction has been found in the (K0.5Na0.5)NbO3:Pr3+ ceramics. Accordingly, a large and reversible photoluminescence modulation (ΔRt = 50.71%) is achieved via altering 395-nm-light irradiation and 200 °C thermal stimulus. All the prepared ceramics show a visible thermoluminescence when stimulated at 200 °C. The mechanisms of luminescence modulation and thermoluminescence are discussed. Present study could provide a feasible paradigm to realize multiple optical properties in one single material.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the performance of various compositions of poled and unpoled Ba0.9Ca0.1CexTi1-xO3 (BCT-Ce) powder was investigated using corona poling.


Journal ArticleDOI
06 Oct 2020
TL;DR: In this paper, the authors determined the mechanism of significant piezoelectricity and ferroelectricity in 0.3BaTiO3-0.6BiFeO3 ceramic with a perovskite-type pseudo-cubic symmetry.
Abstract: A large piezoelectric response in ferroelectric ceramics is typically associated with extrinsic contributions from ferroelectric domain structures. However, such domain structures cannot be expected in systems with pseudo-cubic symmetry. In this study, we determine the mechanism of significant piezoelectricity and ferroelectricity in 0.3BaTiO3–0.1Bi(Mg1/2Ti1/2)O3–0.6BiFeO3 ceramic with a perovskite-type pseudo-cubic symmetry. Synchrotron radiation X-ray diffraction reveals that the Bi ions in this ceramic essentially prefer to be off-centered at six sites by approximately 0.4 A, in the cubic directions. A phase transition occurs at TC ~725 K. However, the crystal seems to present a cubic symmetry even at room temperature. The large piezoelectric response is caused by the combinational partial ordering of the off-centered Bi ions, adapted to any direction of the applied electric field to the ceramic grains. The proposed mechanism for the emergence of a high polarization in the above system will enable designing novel Pb-free ceramics by controlling the fluctuated and off-centered ions under an applied electric field. Strong piezoelectricity is typically due to reorientation of ferroelectric domains and is not expected in cubic systems. Here, the strong piezoelectricity of pseudo-cubic 0.3BaTiO3–0.1Bi(Mg1/2Ti1/2)O3–0.6BiFeO3 is explained in terms of partial ordering of Bi ions adapted to any applied field direction.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Solid-state crystal growth (SSCG) has become a critical technique in the development of high-quality single crystal for piezoelectric devices as discussed by the authors, with high dielectric coefficients and low dielectrics losses that enable them to be utilised in high-end applications, such as medical imaging ultrasound.
Abstract: The forecasted restriction of lead containing materials in piezoelectric devices has created vast interest into the development of alternatives, i.e. lead-free systems. Since the discovery of improved properties, ferroelectric ceramics have dominated the commercial market for piezoelectric sensors, actuators and transducers. Relaxor ferroelectric single crystals are considered the premium piezoelectric materials, with high piezoelectric coefficients and low dielectric losses that enable them to be utilised in high-end applications, such as medical imaging ultrasounds. This review features the progress of lead-free single crystals that aim to replicate the remarkable piezoelectric properties that have been achieved in relaxor-PbTiO3 ferroelectric systems. Solid-state crystal growth (SSCG) has become a critical technique in the development of high-quality single crystals for such systems. SSCG is advantaged by its lower growth temperatures than conventional melt and solution growth techniques by producing crystals through a solid phase transformation of a polycrystalline matrix into a single crystal. This allows for higher chemical homogeneity and volatility control, while remaining a cost-effective growth method. The proposed theories of abnormal grain growth, which is the underlying mechanism that facilitates SSCG, will initially be discussed, followed by the challenges that must be controlled for continual high-quality single crystal growth. Given the correct polycrystalline microstructure and other processing parameters, large single crystals can be produced of incongruently melting systems that are unachievable using other techniques. This review provides a comparison of the state of the art of SSCG versus melt and solution growth techniques and concludes with the authors’ proposed focused points to inspire further improvements to both single crystal growth and piezoelectric properties.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors provide a brief review on the current understanding of the structure-property relationships in this class of materials, which successively covers crystal structures, structural phase transitions, lattice dynamics, polarization, solid solutions and bandgap engineering of KN.
Abstract: Ferroelectric KNbO3 (KN) ceramics were first fabricated in the 1950s, however, their use in commercial technical applications has been hampered by inherently challenging processing difficulties. In the early 1990s, the interest in KN ceramics was revived by the pursuit of Pb-free piezoceramics. More recently the search for inexpensive photovoltaic materials alternative to Si prompted bandgap engineering studies in KN-based solid solutions. If the ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of KN-based ceramics are now well established, the understanding of chemical doping on the bandgap of KN-based ceramics is still in its infancy. Here we provide a brief review on the current understanding of the structure-property relationships in this class of materials, which successively covers crystal structures, structural phase transitions, lattice dynamics, polarization, solid solutions and bandgap engineering of KN.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: Among Aurivillius-phase ferroelectric ceramics, CaBi2Nb2O9 is considered as the best candidate with potential applications in ultra-high-temperature piezoelectric devices due to the highest Tc (∼940).
Abstract: Among Aurivillius-phase ferroelectric ceramics, CaBi2Nb2O9 is considered as the best candidate with potential applications in ultrahigh-temperature piezoelectric devices due to the highest Tc (∼940...

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, a review of the state-of-the-art molten salt synthesis of ferroelectrics and their design for applications in energy conversion and energy storage devices is presented.
Abstract: Ferroelectrics are a class of functional materials that have spontaneous polarization and whose direction can be modulated by external electric fields. The improvement of the electrical properties of ferroelectrics is closely related to the control of their crystal structure and morphology. The molten salt method is a chemical synthesis method in which a molten salt functions as a high-temperature liquid solvent. The special molten salt reaction environment is conducive to the dissolution of raw materials, the transport of reactants, and the directional assembly of basic units to prepare scale- and shape-controllable target materials. In particular, ferroelectrics synthesized by the molten salt method have a variety of technical advantages, such as controllable morphology (0D, 1D and 2D), high dielectric constant, high piezoelectric performance, and strong sintering activity. Therefore, ferroelectrics synthesized by this process have been used in important applications in the energy field in different forms, such as single crystals, textured ceramics, piezoelectric composites, oriented composites, multilayer composites and ferroelectric ceramics. This review article highlights the critical issues and the recent progress of molten salt preparation of ferroelectrics and their application from the viewpoint of synthesis strategies, reaction mechanisms, and energy device assembly. It is anticipated that this review can serve as an overview and evaluation of the state-of-the-art molten salt synthesis of ferroelectrics and their design for applications in energy conversion and energy storage devices.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors synthesize ferroelectric (1-x)Sr 0.875Pb0.125TiO3-xBi(Mg0.5Zr0.1)O3 ((1-X)SPT-xBMZ, x = 0-0.2 under 150 kV/cm.
Abstract: Ferroelectric (1-x)Sr0.875Pb0.125TiO3-xBi(Mg0.5Zr0.5)O3 ((1-x)SPT-xBMZ, x = 0-0.2) ceramics with high discharge efficiency and power density were synthesized via a conventional solid-state sintering method. The prepared (1-x)SPT-xBMZ ceramics were detected as a pure perovskite structure and a dense microstructure, and a typical relaxor behavior and an excellent temperature stability were also observed. Although there is no direct correlation between the degree of diffuseness and the maximum polarization, the high degree of diffuseness can reduce the remanent polarization and significantly improve energy storage and release characteristics of ferroelectric ceramics. Based on a polarization electric-field loop measurement, a recoverable energy storage density of 0.762 J/cm3 and a very high efficiency of 96.34% are achieved when x = 0.2 under 150 kV/cm. The energy storage properties of 0.8SPT-0.2BMZ ceramic exhibit good temperature stability (25−130 °C) and frequency stability (2−80 Hz). In a practical charge-discharge circuit testing, a short discharge pulse-period about 94 ns, a high discharge energy density of 1.7 J/cm3 and an ultra-high-power density of 62.8 MW/cm3 are obtained for the 0.8SPT-0.2BMZ ceramic at 240 kV/cm. The results indicate that the 0.8SPT-0.2BMZ ceramic is a promising dielectric material for high-power pulse capacitors.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the (1-x)BNT-xNTO was successfully prepared by using a solid state reaction method and all samples showed normal polarization-electric field hysteresis loops, and a maximum polarization Pmax was obtained in the x ǫ = 0.06 composition.


Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, a phase-field constitutive model for ferroelectric ceramics is presented to account for the effects of finite temperature by considering thermal lattice vibrations based on statistical mechanics and by modifying the underlying Landau-Devonshire potential to depend on temperature.
Abstract: Ferroelectric ceramics are of interest for engineering applications because of their electro-mechanical coupling and the unique ability to permanently alter their atomic-level dipole structure (i.e., their polarization) and to induce large-strain actuation through applied electric fields. Although the underlying multiscale coupling mechanisms have been investigated by modeling strategies reaching from the atomic level across the polycrystalline mesoscale to the macroscopic device level, most prior work has neglected the important influence of temperature on the ferroelectric behavior. Here, we present a phase-field (diffuse-interface) constitutive model for ferroelectric ceramics, which is extended to account for the effects of finite temperature by considering thermal lattice vibrations based on statistical mechanics and by modifying the underlying Landau-Devonshire potential to depend on temperature. Results indicate that the chosen interpolation of the Landau energy coefficients is a suitable approach for predicting the temperature-dependent spontaneous polarization accurately over a broad temperature range. Lowering the energy barrier at finite temperature by the aforementioned methods also leads to better agreement with measurements of the bipolar hysteresis. Based on a numerical implementation via FFT spectral homogenization, we present simulation results of single- and polycrystals, which highlight the effect of temperature on the ferroelectric switching kinetics. We observe that thermal fluctuations (at the phase-field level realized by a thermalized stochastic noise term in the Allen-Cahn evolution equation) promote the nucleation of needle-like domains in regions of high heterogeneity or stress concentration such as grain boundaries. This, in turn, leads to a faster polarization reversal at low electric fields and a simulated domain pattern evolution comparable to experimental observations, stemming from the competition between nucleation and growth of domains. We discuss the development, implementation, validation, and application of the temperature-dependent phase-field framework for ferroelectric ceramics with a focus on tetragonal lead zirconate titanate (PZT), which we demonstrate to admit reasonable model predictions and comparison with experiments.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this article, the authors designed the {[Bi0.5(Na0.8K0.2)0.1-xPbx}TiO3 ceramics, leading to a big shift of Td from 77 ℃ to 390 ℞, where Td can be deferred to a higher temperature and then thermal depolarization improves.
Abstract: (Bi1/2Na1/2)TiO3-based materials have received much attention due to large electro-strain and high piezoelectric constant (d33), but the tough issue is that the existence of inherent depolarization temperature (Td) limits the temperature stability and application temperature range. Previously, reports about the formation of BNT/oxide (i.e., ZnO, Al2O3) composites thought that Td can be deferred to a higher temperature and then thermal depolarization improves. However, the deferred Td of BNT/oxide composites is limited, accompanied by a low d33. Here, we design the {[Bi0.5(Na0.8K0.2)0.5]1-xPbx}TiO3 ceramics, leading to a big shift of Td from 77 ℃ to 390 ℃. Large d33 (140 pC/N) and high Td (∼263 ℃) can be simultaneously achieved for the sample with Pb=0.05, and Td could be further deferred higher (390 ℃) for Pb=0.20. The off-centre displacement of Pb induced by Pb-O hybridization in the PbO12 polyhedron and ferroelectric order stabilized by the addition of Pb can provide the driving force to strengthen the ferroelectric order, and then promote the thermal stability.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the structural distortion increases with Ta doping due to the larger radius of the Ta ion compared to that of the Ti ion, and proper Ta5+ doping as a donor can effectively inhibit the formation of oxygen vacancies, which reduces high temperature leakage, and can cause a sharp reduction of grain size.

Journal ArticleDOI
TL;DR: In this paper, the structure, morphology, ferroelectricity, strain, energy storage, dielectricity, and impedance of the BNT-BS-xBT ceramics are investigated.
Abstract: (1 − x)[0.9(Bi0.5Na0.5)TiO3–0.1BiScO3]–xBaTiO3 (BNT–BS–xBT) ceramics are prepared by the traditional solid-state sintering. The structure, morphology, ferroelectricity, strain, energy storage, dielectricity, and impedance of the BNT–BS–xBT ceramics are investigated. XRD shows that all ceramics have pseudo-cubic structures. The results also show that BT can refine the grain size of the ceramics and reduce the corresponding density. At x = 0.20, the energy storage performance of the ceramics is optimum (Wrec = 0.563 J/cm3, η = 63%). At x = 0.10, the electrostriction coefficient (Q33) of the ceramics reaches 2.72325 × 10−2 m4/C2. Dielectric and impedance spectroscopies show that the ceramics are relaxor ferroelectrics and have good insulation properties.

Journal ArticleDOI
Shuanghao Wu1, Baijie Song1, Peng Li1, Bo Shen1, Jiwei Zhai1 
TL;DR: In this paper, the positions of morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) in ferroelectric ceramics with perovskite structure are reported to be closely related to the tolerance factors (t) of the materials.
Abstract: The positions of morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) in ferroelectric ceramics with perovskite structure are reported to be closely related to the tolerance factors (t) of the materials, however, similar studies focusing on ferroelectric thin films are still very rare. In this work, Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3–BaTiO3–BiInO3 thin films, Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3–SrTiO3–BiInO3 thin films and Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3–PbTiO3–BiInO3 thin films with different BiInO3 contents were synthesized by using metal organic decomposition method in order to study the MPB–t relationship, and the MPB positions of all three groups of thin films were found to be located in the t range of 0.9815–0.9820 after a combined analysis of their microstructure and macroscopic physical properties, which points out an easy way to predict the MPB position of BNT-based thin films by calculating their t values.