Effect of ZnO doping on structural, dielectric, ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of BaZr0.1Ti0.9O3 ceramics

摘要

This study provides a fundamental understanding of structural, dielectric, ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of bare and ZnO-doped BaZr0.1Ti0.9O3 (BZT) solid solutions synthesized using mechanochemical activation technique. Structural investigation has been carried out using XRD patterns of the synthesized compositions by Rietveld refinement method. It confirms the formation of tetragonal phase with P4mm space group for ZnO doping up to 2.5 wt%, while in 5.0 wt% ZnO-doped sample, BZT and ZnO are distributed as individual phases of tetragonal (P4mm) and hexagonal (P6(3)mc), respectively. Microstructural analysis shows that average grain size increases quite rapidly with the increase of ZnO content. Detailed analysis of dielectric constant as a function of temperature for the prepared samples shows that the frequency independent dielectric constant maximum shifts to lower temperature with increase in ZnO doping. The ferroelectric ordering is confirmed using P-E loop measurements. The piezoelectric constant of the synthesized specimens were found to decrease with increasing ZnO content.