The dielectric and piezoelectric properties of the ferroelectric BaTiO3 were measured and analyzed using both strong and weak electric field conditions. To measure the electric field induced polarizations and strains, a high voltage source and the measuring circuit were used and the dielectric constants were measured with an impedance analyzer. The spontaneous polarization of BaTiO3 at room temperature was calculated as 17 μC/cm2 based on the lattice structure and internal ion location, which is in good agreement with the experimental results. The polarization and strain hysteresis curve according to the electric field were analyzed in terms of lattice structure and ion position. The magnitude of remanent polarization is proportional to the offset distance of Ti4+ ion from the lattice center. The magnitude of dielectric permittivity is proportional to the degree to which Ti4+ ion can move freely inside the lattice. The magnitude of piezoelectric constant d33 is proportional to how much Ti4+ ion distorts the lattice as it moves inside the lattice.
This review offers a critical overview of recent developments in lead-free piezoelectric materials and flexible device architectures for self-powered wearable and Internet of Things systems. It examines the scientific and technological rationale for replacing conventional battery-dependent power sources with ambient mechanical energy harvesters, and it evaluates the relative merits of inorganic ceramics, organic polymers, and composite systems in achieving efficient electromechanical conversion under practical operating conditions. The discussion further considers compositional tuning, phase boundary engineering, microstructural optimization, and device-level integration as key strategies for improving piezoelectric output, mechanical compliance, durability, and manufacturability. By connecting fundamental materials design with application-driven device requirements, the review identifies the principal challenges and emerging directions necessary for the realization of reliable, scalable, and sustainable electronic platforms.
The expansion of smart healthcare and wearable electronics has intensified the need for fabric-based sensors that integrate conformally with the human body for continuous bio signal monitoring. However, the heavy reliance of conventional devices on external batteries remains a major obstacle to commercialization, necessitating the development of flexible piezoelectric energy harvesters that convert biomechanical energy into sustainable power. Here, we present a highly flexible and wearable piezoelectric energy harvester (PEH) fabricated by a screen-printing of BaTiO3 nanoparticlePDMS composites onto a fabric substrate. An optimized piezo-ceramic filler concentration of 70 wt% yielded a peak output voltage of 0.52 V and a current of 40 nA under the mechanical bending deformations. The fabricated PEH demonstrated exceptional mechanical and electrical stability, showing no performance degradation of over 5,000 repetitive bending cycles. These results indicate that a PEH can function as a stable self-powered source within complex clothing environments, offering a promising pathway for next-generation autonomous wearable sensor systems.
Bismuth layer-structured ferroelectrics with high Curie temperatures have recently attracted significant attention as promising candidates for high-temperature piezoelectric applications. However, the conventional solid-state reaction method entails high-temperature processing that induces bismuth volatilization, thereby degrading device reliability. In this study, we employed a co-precipitation method enabling atomic-level mixing to significantly lower the synthesis temperature of Nb/Tadoped Bi4Ti3O12 ceramics compared to the solid-state reaction method. Experimental results demonstrated that the coprecipitation method yielded a pure single phase at 600℃ without intermediate phases. Furthermore, the synthesized nanopowders, with an average size of 100 nm, lowered the onset temperature of sintering shrinkage to 650℃, approximately 200℃ lower than that of the solid-state counterpart. The low-temperature synthesis process proposed in this work is expected to contribute to the performance enhancement of high-temperature piezoelectric devices by effectively suppressing bismuth volatilization and ensuring compositional stability.
The growing demand for thinner, lighter, and more energy-efficient electronic systems has driven the development of acoustic technologies toward compact and flexible sound generation platforms. Despite significant progress, conventional electromagnetic speakers remain limited by bulky structures, energy losses, and poor compatibility with modern ultrathin devices. In this review, recent advancements in piezoelectric acoustic systems are presented, demonstrating a new generation of speakers capable of producing high-fidelity sound from ultra-slim, lightweight, and mechanically compliant designs. Through refined structural configurations and efficient electromechanical coupling, these piezoelectric exciters achieve strong acoustic output, fast response, and wide frequency operation while drastically reducing component thickness. These exciters also show their suitability for seamless integration into flexible displays, wearable devices, and automotive panels, offering enhanced spatial audio practicality and multifunctional operation, including demonstrative output and sensing. This advancement marks a step toward the convergence of acoustic, haptic, and interactive technologies, for the realization of sustainable and immersive humanmachine interfaces in future electronic and automotive systems.
Abstract In this study, to develop composition ceramics for energy harvesting devices, Pb(Ni1/3Nb2/3)O₃-Pb(Zr Ti)O₃ system ceramics substituted with Pb(Mg1/2W1/2)O₃ were manufactured by conventional mixed oxide method using Li₂CO₃ and Na₂CO₃ (LNCO) as sintering aids. Their microstructure and piezoelectric properties were also investigated. At the specimen sintered at 930℃, high values of piezoelectric properties appeared: the dielectric constant (εr) of 2,522 planar electromechanical coupling factor kp of 0.602, and k31 of 0.385, d31 = 229 [pC/N], g31 = 10.13 [mV.m/N], Qm of 70, respectively. These values were suitable for the application of devices such as energy harvesting devices and ultrasonic devices.
Porous polymeric structures with piezoelectric properties have attracted considerable attention in the fields of biomaterials and tissue engineering due to their ability to convert mechanical stimuli into electrical signals. However, conventional fabrication methods for porous structures often face limitations in controlling pore architecture, maintaining structural uniformity, and achieving process reproducibility, in addition to requiring complex processing conditions. To address these issues, we propose a facile and reproducible fabrication method for porous poly (vinylidene fluoride) (PVDF) piezoelectric sponges using molded sugar cubes as sacrificial pore templates. By adjusting the particle size of the sugar templates, the pore size and distribution of the sponges could be effectively controlled, and a uniform open-pore network was achieved. The fabricated sponges were evaluated with a focus on pore morphology, mechanical behavior, and piezoelectric performance depending on the sugar particle size, and these evaluations confirmed the structural properties and functional efficacy. This study presents a simple and reproducible fabrication strategy along with a quantitative analysis method for porous structures, which is expected to enhance process accessibility and practical applicability in the development of piezoelectric polymer-based biomaterial platforms.
Piezoelectric materials, which convert mechanical energy into electrical signals, are widely used in various industrial applications such as sensors, actuators, and energy harvesting devices. This study aims to enhance the performance of Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-Pb(Al1/2Nb1/2)O3-Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O₃ (PMN-PAN-PZT) piezoelectric ceramics by investigating the effects of varying PAN and PMN content and adding Nb₂O₅ on their piezoelectric properties. The results show that with 2 mol% of PMN and PAN, the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) region exhibits the highest piezoelectric properties. Additionally, excess Nb₂O₅ positively influenced the piezoelectric properties, maximizing electro-mechanical coupling factor (kp=63%, d33=440 pC/N). These findings contribute to developing next-generation high-performance piezoelectric materials, with potential for improved efficiency and performance in various industries.
With the recent active development of laser-based weapons/monitoring/communication systems, there is a significant increase in the demand for improved performance of piezoelectric actuators, a key component of both deformable mirror (DM) and fast steering mirror (FSM) in the systems. The conventional polycrystalline piezoelectric ceramic actuators have limitations in improving their characteristics, so the ultrahigh strain PMN-PZT piezoelectric single crystal multilayer actuators have been developed. In this study, the basic experimental methods were developed to evaluate their stability as well as reliability. The limitations of deformation and applied voltage were confirmed through the breakdown voltage test, and the degree of stability was confirmed through the hammering test. In this study, the breakdown voltage test and the hammering test were confirmed to be effective methods to evaluate their stability as well as reliability. Through these studies, the next-generation PMN-PZT piezoelectric single-crystal multilayer actuator is expected to be applied to various piezoelectric application fields by securing reliability as well as excellent piezoelectric properties.
Piezoelectric thin films have become increasingly significant in applications such as MEMS devices, wearable electronics, and lab-on-a-chip systems due to the miniaturization and integration of electronic devices. For piezoelectric thin films, even when an electric signal is applied in the thickness direction, greater deformation can often be observed in the in-plane direction, which is perpendicular to the electric field. Therefore, piezoelectric thin film devices are frequently designed using the transverse mode. As a result, it is crucial to evaluate piezoelectric thin films by measuring their transverse piezoelectric coefficient. This tutorial paper introduces a method for evaluating the effective transverse piezoelectric coefficient (e31,f) of piezoelectric thin films using laser Doppler vibrometry (LDV). Additionally, the paper outlines a step-by-step procedure for measuring e31,f while using Bi1/2Na1/2TiO3-based piezoelectric thin films as an example. This tutorial is expected to provide a practical and valuable method for measuring and analyzing the transverse piezoelectric properties, thereby supporting the development of new piezoelectric thin film materials.
In this study, Pb(Ni1/3Nb2/3)O3-Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 ceramics substituted with Pb(Mg1/2W1/2)O3 were fabricated with the variation of CuO for application to ultrasonic cleaning of removable orthodontic appliances (ROA). And their piezoelectric and dielectric properties were investigated. At the 0.12 wt% CuO added ceramics sintered at 930℃, the excellent values of dielectric constant=2,519, density=7.82 g/㎤, kp=0.64, d33=536 pC/N, Qm=57 were obtained, respectively. These values were suitable for application to ultrasonic cleaning of ROA.
The search for sustainable and efficient energy conversion technologies is becoming increasingly critical in response to global energy and environmental challenges. Traditional lead-based piezoelectric materials, such as lead zirconate titanate (PZT), have high piezoelectric constant but present significant health problems and environmental risks due to their hazardous metal contaminants. This study addresses these concerns by investigating barium titanate (BTO), a lead-free alternative, and enhancing its performance using anisotropic nanowires (NWs) structures. BTO NWs were synthesized via a two-step hydrothermal method and incorporated into a poly(vinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene) [P(VDF-TrFE)] matrix to fabricate a piezoelectric composite film. The resulting device demonstrated a notable increase in electrical output compared to devices based on isotropic morphology of BTO nanoparticles, exhibiting enhanced performance. These findings suggest that BTO NWs hold significant promise for applications in flexible and wearable electronics, paving the way for further advancements in sustainable energy technology.
Piezoelectricity refers to the phenomenon where mechanical stress is converted into electrical signals or, conversely, electrical signals are converted into mechanical stress. Ferroelectric materials, characterized by high dielectric permittivity and spontaneous polarization, retain their polarization even after the removal of an electric field. In such materials, poling plays a crucial role in enhancing the piezoelectric effect, with the process of aligning dipoles being known as poling. This review focuses on studies that have compared and analyzed the enhancement of piezoelectric properties in ceramics and polymers through two representative poling methods: AC poling (ACP) and DC poling (DCP). Even within the same category of ceramics or polymers, variations in piezoelectric properties are observed based on the material type, poling method, and poling conditions. Under certain conditions, ACP has been shown to provide superior poling effects compared to DCP. Through this review, we propose that ACP has the potential not only to replace the traditionally used DCP in the poling of piezoelectric materials but also to serve as a more effective method. This could spark increased interest in the study of poling methods for piezoelectric polymers, a field that has received relatively less attention.
(Bi1/2Na1/2)TiO3(BNT) piezoelectric ceramics are one of the promising materials that can replace Pb(Zr, Ti)O3(PZT) piezoelectric ceramics due to the high electromechanical strain properties. However, it is still difficult to use practical applications because the required electric field for inducing electromechanical strain is relatively higher than that of PZT ceramics. To overcome this problem, it has been intensively studied on doping impurity or modifying other ABO3 for BNTbased piezoelectric ceramics. Therefore, this study investigated the effects of La2O3 doping on the phase transition behavior and electromechanical strain properties in BNT-SrTiO3 (BNT-ST) lead-free piezoelectric ceramics. In the case of the temperaturedependent dielectric properties, it was confirmed that a phase transition from ferroelectrics to relaxors is induced with increasing La2O3 content. As a result, the electromechanical strain properties of BNT-ST ceramics were improved. The highest Smax/Emax value corresponding to 300 pm/V was obtained at 2 mol% La2O3-dopped BNT-ST ceramics. Accordingly, this study successfully demonstrated that La2O3 doping is effective on the inducing phase transition from ferroelectrics to relaxors and the improving electromechanical strain properties of BNT-ST lead-free piezoelectric ceramics.
Piezoelectric ceramics play an important role in various electronic applications. However, traditional ceramics are difficult to be used in some complicated structures, due to their low flexibility and high brittleness. To solve this problem, this study prepared and investigated ceramic/polymer composites that can utilize a good flexibility of polymers. Polyvinylidene fluoride-trifluoroethylene (PVDF-TrFE) and 0.77(Bi1/2Na1/2)TiO3-0.23SrTiO3 (BNST23) ceramics were selected to fabricate the composites. Ceramic/polymer composites were prepared using various volume fractions of BNST23 ceramics. The distribution of piezoceramic particles in BNST23/PVDF-TrFE composites was investigated using optical microscopy (OM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The dielectric and piezoelectric properties of the composites were significantly influenced by the volume fraction of the piezoelectric ceramics. As a result, the highest piezoelectric constant (d33) of 56 pC/N was obtained in a composites with 70% volume fraction of BNST23 ceramics. Accordingly, it is expected that BNST23/PVDF-TrFE composites can be applied to various sensor applications.
Donghun Lee, Seongmin Jeong, Hak Su Jang, Dongju Ha, Dong Yeol Hyeon, Yu Mi Woo, Changyeon Baek, Min-ku Lee, Gyoung-ja Lee, Jung Hwan Park, Kwi-il Park
J Electr Electron Mater 2024;37(4):427-432. Published online July 1, 2024
The polymer crystallization process, promoting the formation of ferroelectric β-phase, is essential for developing polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF)-based high-performance piezoelectric energy harvesters. However, traditional high-temperature annealing is unsuitable for the manufacture of flexible piezoelectric devices due to the thermal damage to plastic components that occurs during the long processing times. In this study, we investigated the feasibility of introducing a flash lamp annealing that can rapidly induce the β-phase in the PVDF layer while avoiding device damage through selective heating. The flash lightirradiated PVDF films achieved a maximum β-phase content of 76.52% under an applied voltage of 300 V and an on-time of 1.5 ms, a higher fraction than that obtained through thermal annealing. The PVDF-based piezoelectric energy harvester with the optimized irradiation condition generates a stable output voltage of 0.23 V and a current of 102 nA under repeated bendings. These results demonstrate that flash lamp annealing can be an effective process for realizing the mass production of PVDF-based flexible electronics.
The measurement of strain under an electric field has been widely employed to comprehend the fundamental principles of electro-mechanical responses in ferroelectric, piezoelectric, and electrostrictive materials. In particular, understanding the strain properties of piezoelectric materials in response to electrical stimulation is crucial for researching and developing components such as piezoelectric actuators, acoustic devices, and ultrasonic generators. This tutorial paper introduces the components and operational principles of the linear variable differential transducer (LVDT), a widely used displacement measurement device in various industries. Additionally, we present the configuration of an experimental setup using LVDT to measure the strain characteristics of ferroelectric, piezoelectric, or electrostrictive materials under the application of an electric field. This paper includes simple measurement results and analyses obtained through the LVDT experimental setup, providing valuable information on research methods for the electro-mechanical interactions of various materials.
Energy harvesting technology, which converts wasted energy sources in everyday life into usable electric energy, is gaining attention as a solution to the challenges of charging and managing batteries for the driving of IoT sensors, which are one of the key technologies in the era of the fourth industrial revolution. Hybrid energy harvesting technology involves integrating two or more energy harvesting technologies to generate electric energy from multiple energy conversion mechanisms. In this study, a hybrid energy harvesting device called TMPPEG (thermo-magneto-piezoelectric-pyroelectric energy generator), which utilizes low-grade waste heat, was developed by incorporating PVDF polymer piezoelectric components and optimizing the system. The variations in piezoelectric output and thermoelectric output were examined based on the spacing of the clamps, and it was found that the device exhibited the highest energy output when the clamp spacing was 2 mm. The voltage and energy output characteristics of the TMPPEG were evaluated, demonstrating its potential as an efficient hybrid energy harvesting component that effectively harnesses low-grade waste heat.
Piezoelectric ceramics play an important role in electrical and electronic devices such as sensors, actuators, and microelectronic devices. However, traditional ceramics are difficult to be used in various process industries due to their high brittleness and low flexibility. Therefore, piezoelectric paint sensors have been designed for application to the curved surfaces of complicated structures. Furthermore, recently, significant attention has been focused on the development of paint sensors that can be used as structure health monitoring sensors for vibration, impact, and acoustic emission. Several studies have successfully demonstrated the possibility that smart paint sensors can take the place of traditional ceramic sensors. In this review, we briefly introduce the concept of the piezoelectric paint sensors and the expected application field as well as their preparation and history.
Stretchable piezoelectric energy harvester (S-PEHs) based on composite materials are considered one of the potential candidates for realizing wearable self-powered devices for smart clothing and electronic skin. However, low energy conversion performance and expensive stretchable electrodes are major bottlenecks hindering the development and application of S-PEHs. Here, we fabricated the S-PEH by adopting the piezoelectric composites with enhanced stress transfer properties and kirigamipatterned textile electrodes. The optimum contents of piezoelectric BaTiO3 nanoparticles inside the carbon nanotube/ecoflex composite were selected as 30 wt% considering the trade-off between stretchability and energy harvesting performance of the device. The final S-PEH shows an output voltage and mechanical stability of ~5 V and ~3,000 cycles under repeated 150% of tensile strain, respectively. This work presents a cost-effective and scalable way to fabricate stretchable piezoelectric devices for self-powered wearable electronic systems.
It was reported that a tetragonal phase can be stabilized with maintaining good piezoelectric properties when Na0.5K0.5NbO3 (KNN) is modified with 0.06 mol SrTiO3. However, such a high amount of SrTiO3 leads not only to poor sinterability but low Curie temperature (TC). To maintain high TC with good piezoelectric properties in KNN-based lead-free piezoelectric ceramics, this study investigates the effect of Li-doping on the dielectric and piezoelectric properties of 0.96Na0.5K0.5NbO3-0.04SrTiO3 (KNN-4ST) ceramics. As a result, the orthorhombic-tetragonal phase transition was observed at 2 mol% Li2CO3 modified KNN-4ST ceramics, whose TC, d33 and kp values are 328℃, 165pC/N and 0.33, respectively.
This study investigated crystal structures, microstructures, and electric-field-induced strain (EFIS) properties of Bibased lead-free ferroelectric/relaxor composites. Bi1/2(Na0.82K0.18)1/2TiO3 (BNKT) as a ferroelectric material and 0.78Bi1/2(Na0.78K0.22)1/2TiO3-0.02LaFeO3 (BNKT2LF) as a relaxor material were synthesized using a conventional solid-state reaction method, and the resulting BNKT2LF powders were subjected to high-energy ball milling (HEBM) after calcination. As a result, HEBM proved a larger average grain size of sintered samples compared to conventional ball milling (CBM). In addition, the increased sintering time led to grain growth. Furthermore, HEBM treatment and sintering time demonstrated a significant effect on EFIS of BNKT/BNKT2LF composites. At 6 kV/mm, 0.35% of the maximum strain (Smax) was observed in the HEBM sample sintered for 12 h. The unipolar strain curves of CBM samples were almost linear, indicating almost no phase transitions, while HEBM samples displayed phase transitions at 5~6 kV/mm for all sintering time levels, showing the highest Smax/Emax value of 700 pm/V. These results indicated that HEBM treatment with a long sintering time might significantly enhance the electromechanical strain properties of BNT-based ceramics.
Piezoelectric actuators, which utilize piezoelectric crystals or ceramics, are commonly used in precision positioning applications, offering high-speed response and precise control. However, the use of low-performance ceramics and expensive single crystals is limiting their versatile use in the actuator market, necessitating the development of both high-performance and cost-effective piezoelectric materials capable of delivering higher forces and displacements. The use of textured Pb (lead)-based piezoelectric ceramics formed by so-called templated grain growth method has been identified as a promising strategy to address the performance and cost issue. This review article provides insights into recent advances in texturing Pb-based piezoelectric ceramics for improved performance in actuation applications. We discussed the relevant issues in detail focusing on current challenges and emerging trends in the textured piezoelectric ceramics for their reliability and performance in actuator applications. We discussed in detail focusing on current challenges and emerging trends of textured piezoelectric ceramics for their reliability and performance in actuator applications. In conclusion, the article provides an outlook on the future direction of textured piezoelectric ceramics in actuator applications, highlighting the potential for further success in this field.
In this paper, for the application of ultrasonic cleaners for cleaning dentures and transparent braces, Pb(Mn1/3Nb2/3)O3-Pb(Ni1/3 Nb2/3)O3-Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 [PMN-PNN-PZT] system ceramics were manufactured and their dielectric and piezoelectric properties were investigated. Overall the best properties suitable for the device applications such as ultrasonic cleaner were obtained from the ceramics sintered at 920℃: bulk density of 7.8 g/㎤, the dielectric constant (εr) of 1,689, piezoelectric charge constant (d33) of 433 pC/N, planar electromechanical coupling factor (kp) of 0.64, mechanical quality factor (Qm) of 835, S11E of 13.37 (10-12 N/㎡), and Curie temperature of 315℃ By using the physical properties of this composition, the ultrasonic cleaner was designed and simulated using the commercial ATILA software. For the three-layered ceramics with the dimension of 25 mm × 25 mm × 2.5mm, an excellent displacement of 8.998 ×10-3 m) and the sound pressure of 147.68 dB were recorded.
Chang Min Baek, Min Woo Kim, Ji Won Lee, Hyun Ah Kim, Ji Yun Jung, Jun Hyeon Yoon, Hyo Il Kim, Ye Jin Park, Gi Hun Kim, So Hwa Kim, Seung Heon Kim, Jeong Min Kim, Hye Seon Lee, Jeong Won Jang, Min Gyo Jeong, Jin Hyeok Choi, Seung Yun Ha, Seungah Lee, Han Seung Choi, Jungho Ryu
J Electr Electron Mater 2022;35(6):639-646. Published online November 1, 2022
Energy harvesting technologies that can convert wasted various energy into usable electrical energy have been widely investigated to overcome the limitation of batteries for the powering of IoT sensors and small electronic devices. Hybrid energy harvesting is known as a technology that enhances the output power of single energy harvesting device by housing two or more various energy harvesting mechanisms. In this study, we introduce a hybrid MME (Magneto-Mechano-Electric) generator coupled with the triboelectric effect. Through FEA modeling, four triboelectric materials, including PI (Polyimide), PFA(Teflon), Cu, and Al, were selected and compared with the expected triboelectric potentials. The effect of surface morphology was investigated as well. Among various combination of triboelectric materials and surface morphologies, PFA-Al combination with the surface morphology having nano-scale square projections showed highest output potential under triboelectrification. It is also experimentally confirmed that output voltage and power of the hybrid MME generator with triboelectric material combinations.
Morphotropic phase boundary (MPB), which is a special boundary that separates two or multiple different phases in the phase diagram of some ferroelectric ceramics, is an important concept in identifying physics that includes piezoelectric responses. MPB, which had not been discovered in organic materials until recently, was discovered in poly(vinylidene fluoride-co- trifluoroethylene (P(VDF-TrFE)), resulting from a molecular approach. The piezoelectric coefficient of P(VDF-TrFE) in this MPB region was achieved up to -63.5 pC N-1, which is about two times as large as the conventional value of -30 pC N-1 of P(VDF-TrFE). An order-disorder arrangement greatly affects the rise of the piezoelectric effect and the ferroelectric, paraelectric and relaxor ferroelectric of P(VDF-TrFE), so the arrangement and shape of the polymer chain is important. In this review, we investigate the origin of negative longitudinal piezoelectric coefficients of piezoelectric polymers, which is definitely opposite to those of common piezoelectric ceramics. In addition to the mainly discussed issue about MPB behaviors of ferroelectric polymers, we also introduce the consideration about polymer chirality resulting in relaxor ferroelectric properties. When the physics of ferroelectric polymers is unveiled, we can improve the piezoelectric and pyroelectric properties of ferroelectric polymers and contribute to the development of next-generation sensor, energy, transducer and actuator applications.
Recently, piezoelectric devices, such as ultrasonic surgery, ultrasonic atomizer, and ultrasonic speaker, are analyzed and designed by finite element simulation methods. However, the discrepancy between the design and the experiment results of the device typically occurs due to the inaccuracy of the piezoelectric material properties. To improve the simulation accuracy, the material properties of the PZT ceramics were better refined using parameter estimation method. The material parameters are elastic stiffness cEij and piezoelectric constant eij of PZT ceramics. The impedance curve characteristics for the LTE mode of PZT ceramics were calculated. The mismatch between the simulation and the experimental data were compared and minimized by a least square method. Finally, the simulated impedance data were compared with the experimental data for the various vibration modes of PZT ceramics and the optimized material properties of PZT ceramics were verified. To further verify the accuracy, this method was also applied to piezoelectric PMN-PT single crystals.
Ultrasonic sensor is suitable as a next-generation autonomous driving assist device because its lower price compared to that of other sensors and its sensing stability in the external environment. Although Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 (PZT)-relaxor ferroelectric system has excellent piezoelectric properties, the change in capacitance is large in the daily operating temperature range due to the low phase transition temperature. Recently, many studies have been conducted to improve the temperature stability of ferroelectric ceramics by controlling the grain size and crystal structure, so it is necessary to study the effect of the grain size on the piezoelectric properties and the temperature stability of PZT-relaxor ferroelectric system. In this study, the piezoelectric properties, phase transition temperature, and temperature coefficient of capacitance (TCC) of 0.9 Pb(Zr1-xTix)O3-0.1 Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3 (PZTx-PZN) ceramics with various grain sizes were investigated. PZTx-PZN ceramics with larger grain size showed higher piezoelectric properties and temperature stability, and are expected to be suitable for ultrasonic devices in the future.
We investigated the microstructure, crystal structure, dielectric, and elecromechanical strain properties of lead-free BaTiO3 (BT)-modified (Bi1/2Na1/2)TiO3-SrTiO3 (BNT-ST) piezoelectric ceramics. Samples were prepared by a conventional ceramic processing route. Temperature dependent dielectric properties confirmed that a phase transition from a nonergodic relaxor to an ergodic relaxor was induced when the BT concentration reached 1.5 mol%, interestingly, where the average grain size reached a maximum value of 4.5 μm. At the same time, enhanced electromechanical strain (Smax/Emax = 600 pm/V) was obtained. It is suggested that the induced ferroelectric-relaxor phase transition by the BT modification is responsible for the enhancement of electromechanical strain in 1.5 mol% BT-modified BNT-ST ceramics.
Bulk-sized PbTiO3 (PT), which is widely known as a high-performance ferroelectric oxide but cannot be fabricated into a monolithic ceramic due to its high c/a ratio, was successfully prepared with a high tetragonality by partially substituting Ni ions for Pb ions using a solid-state reaction method. We found that Ni-doped PT was well-fabricated as a bulk monolith with a significant c/a ratio of ~1.06. X-ray diffraction on as-sintered and crushed samples revealed that NiTiO3 secondary phase was present at the doping level of more than 2 at.%. Scanning electron microscopic study showed that NiTiO3 secondary phase grew on the surface of PT specimens regardless of the doping level possibly due to the evaporation of Pb during sintering. We demonstrated that an unconventional introduction of Ni ions into A-site plays a key role on the fabrication of bulk PT, though how Ni ion functions should be studied further. We expect that this study contributes to a further development of displacive ferroelectric oxides with a high c/a ratio.
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