Fabrication and electrical investigations of PbTiO3 ceramics with Pb/Ti contents through solid state sintering reaction method

Abstract

PbTiO3 (PT) ceramics were successfully fabricated with Pb/Ti molar compositions, 1.00, 0.98 and 0.94 through solid state sintering reaction method. The effect of Pb/Ti contents on structural and electrical properties was studied in detail. Electrical investigations were made in the wide spread spectrum of temperature (40–700 °C) at 1 kHz frequency for the assortment of implications to device applications. Phase purity and crystal structure of the specimens were resolved by X-ray diffraction (XRD). PT ceramics were perovskite ferroelectric materials with tetragonal crystal structures (P4mm, P4/mmm). Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) studies exposed the development of ferroelectric domain patterns for 0.98 PT ceramics. Sharp phase transition (Curie temp. TC) was displayed by 1.00 and 0.98 PT ceramics predominantly at 490 °C. Temperature dependence of the alternative current conductivity (σac) confirmed the presence of ferroelectric to paraelectric phase transition. Beyond TC, dielectric permittivity was strongly influenced by the conduction process. Bulk conductivity (σdc) followed the Arrhenius law with Ea = 0.3077–2.6269 for 1.00 PT ceramics, 0.3439–0.7246 for 0.98 and 0.5786–1.7665 eV for 0.94 PT ceramics which can be attributed to the ionic and electronic conduction governed byV0• ,Vo andVPb vacancies.