Fatigue crack growth in ferroelectrics driven by cyclic electric loading

Abstract

Fatigue crack growth has been observed recently in ferroelectrics under cyclic electric loading. Does the crack grow by electric breakdown, or by the stress field near the crack tip? The present paper provides a mechanistic explanation for the electric-field-induced fatigue crack growth. The non-uniform electric field near an insulated crack tip might cause domain switching which in turn produces a concentrated stress field characterized by a stress intensity factor. For ferroelectrics poled along a direction perpendicular to the crack, we are able to show quantitatively that: (1) the stress intensity factor under a negative electric field is nine times as large as the stress intensity factor under a positive electric field; (2) the crack starts to grow if the stress intensity factor is higher than the fracture toughness of the material, but the stress intensity factor decreases as the crack extends and eventually results in crack arrest; (3) by reversing the electric field, the stress intensity factor is increased and crack growth resumes; and (4) this model can predict the extent of fatigue crack growth. In contrast to the conventional perception of (mechanical) fatigue, the fatigue crack growth in ferroelectrics under cyclic electric loading is a step by step cleavage process caused by a domain switching sequence that generates a cyclic driving stress field near the crack tip.