Influence of thermal and electrical histories on domain structure and polarization switching in potassium-modified lead zirconate titanate ceramics

Qi Tan*, Dwight Viehland

*Corresponding author for this work

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

47 Scopus citations

Abstract

The dependence of domain evolution and polarization switching on thermal and electrical histories has been investigated for K1+-ion-modified lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics by using hot-stage transmission electron microscopy and Sawyer-Tower polarization methods. In each case, the domains were very narrow, on the order of several hundred angstroms. In the aged condition, the domain structure was dominated by a "wavy" morphology. In the as-quenched condition, fine and straight 180° domains were found that extended across entire grains. In the field-cooled condition, fine and straight 70° and 110° domains were found. Corresponding polarization studies revealed double-loop characteristics in the as-quenched and aged conditions. In both these cases, the switchable polarization was much less than that of the base PZT composition. In the field-cooled condition, a single polarization loop was observed. However, the polarization-electric field (P-E) curve was skewed from the origin, and the polarization was not completely switchable on field reversal. These changes in domain stability and P-E properties have then been explained in terms of the dependence of a spatial distribution of polarizable defect complexes on thermal and electrical histories.

Original languageEnglish
Pages (from-to)328-336
Number of pages9
JournalJournal of the American Ceramic Society
Volume81
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - Feb 1998
Externally publishedYes

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