Influence of Grain and Grain-Boundary Resistances on Dielectric Properties of KNbO_3 Under Small DC Bias Field

摘要

Lead-free piezoelectric potassium niobate (KNbO_3) system was synthesized by conventional solid-state ceramic route. Rietveld analysis of X-ray diffraction data of this system revealed that the sample crystallized in pure orthorhombic perovskite phase at room temperature. SEM micrograph of this system depicted presence of grains having diffuse brick structure with an average grain size of 500 nm. Dielectric properties of KNbO_3 ceramic were investigated under different DC bias voltage in a broad frequency (from 20 Hz to 1 MHz) and temperature (from 200℃ to 500℃) ranges in its three crystalline phases. The dielectric constant was found to increase with increasing bias field in all three phases. The loss tangent of this system was found to increase first, and then it becomes constant with increasing bias field. These properties have been explained in terms of variation of grain and grain-boundary resistances with bias field.