Piezoelectric Pb(Ni,Nb)O3-Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 multilayer ceramics using Cu-Ag electrodes reduced by hydrazine solution treatment

Abstract

Structure, ferroelectric, and electrostrain characteristics of 0.5Pb(Ni1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.16PbZrO3-0.34PbTiO3 + 0.2 wt% Li2CO3 (PNN-PZT+LC) multilayer ceramics were systematically evaluated to determine the properties of Cu-Ag electrodes reduced by hydrazine solution treatment. Piezoelectric PNN-PZT+LC multilayer ceramics with electrode layers of Cu-Ag core-shell particles were co-fired in air atmosphere at temperatures less than 960 °C. Cu electrode existing of PNN-PZT+LC/Cu-Ag multilayer ceramics entirely oxidized during co-firing. The co-fired specimens were post-treated with hydrazine solution at 120 °C for 30 min to reduce the oxidative electrodes. The specimen co-fired at 950 °C had highly improved values of 2Pr of 62.8 μC/cm2 and 2Ec of 1.9 kV/mm, and the highest d33 * value of 925 pm/V at 2 kV/mm after hydrazine solution reduction process. This confirms that the solution process is excellent for development of cost-effective piezoelectric multilayer ceramics with Cu electrodes.