Issue 33, 2016

Temperature dependent piezoelectric response and strain–electric-field hysteresis of rare-earth modified bismuth ferrite ceramics

Abstract

The rare-earth (RE)-modified bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3 or BFO) family of ferroelectrics have uncomplicated lead-free chemistries and simple perovskite structures. Due to the high Curie transition temperature of the parent BiFeO3 perovskite (∼830 °C), they are promising piezoelectric materials for use at elevated temperatures. However, the influence of the specific RE species on the electromechanical behavior at high temperatures and above the coercive electric-field is not widely reported. Here, structural analysis over multiple length scales using X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and piezoresponse force microscopy is coupled with a high electric-field cycling study and in situ converse d33 measurements up to 325 °C for three RE–BFO ceramic compositions, Bi0.86Sm0.14FeO3, Bi0.88Gd0.12FeO3 and Bi0.91Dy0.09FeO3. The ceramics exhibit different phase assemblages with varying amounts of polar rhombohedral R3c and intermediate antipolar orthorhombic Pbam phases as a function of the RE species. During electric-field cycling at electric-fields with amplitudes of 160 kV cm−1, peak-to-peak strains of 0.23–0.27% are reached for all three compositions. However, there are qualitative differences in the field-induced strain and electric current behavior as a function of electric-field cycling and the materials exhibit an electrical-history dependent behavior. Bi0.91Dy0.09FeO3 possesses an improved d33 stability as a function of temperature relative to the parent BFO perovskite and the highest depolarization temperature among the three RE–BFO compositions, with a stable d33 of ∼22 pC N−1 up to 325 °C.

Graphical abstract: Temperature dependent piezoelectric response and strain–electric-field hysteresis of rare-earth modified bismuth ferrite ceramics

Supplementary files

Article information

Article type
Paper
Submitted
15 May 2016
Accepted
01 Aug 2016
First published
08 Aug 2016

J. Mater. Chem. C, 2016,4, 7859-7868

Author version available

Temperature dependent piezoelectric response and strain–electric-field hysteresis of rare-earth modified bismuth ferrite ceramics

J. Walker, H. Ursic, A. Bencan, B. Malic, H. Simons, I. Reaney, G. Viola, V. Nagarajan and T. Rojac, J. Mater. Chem. C, 2016, 4, 7859 DOI: 10.1039/C6TC02000C

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