Ferroelectric and Piezoelectric Properties of Bifeo3-Batio3 Solid Solution Ceramics

Effects of heat-treat procedure and sintering temperatures were investigated in 0.67Bi1.05FeO3-0.33BaTiO3ceramics. The structure, dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties of ceramics made by normal cooling or quenched cooling process were investigated. All ceramics show single pseudo-cubic perovskite crystal structure. Although the structure was not changed but other properties were much changed by heat-treatment. The normally cooled ceramic showed ‘pinched’ ferroelectric hysteresis loops with remanent polarization value of about 10 μC/cm2. On the contrary, the quenched ceramic showed ‘normal’ ferroelectric hysteresis loops with remanent polarization value of about 17 μC/cm2. The piezoelectric constant d 33value of 13 pC/N in normally cooled ceramic was improved to 39 pC/N in quenched ceramic. These improved results were attributed to the reduced populations of defects made during the heat-treatments.