Relaxor behavior of (Ba,Bi)(Ti,Al)O3 ferroelectric ceramic

Abstract

Perovskite type (Ba0.9Bi0.1)(Ti0.9Al0.1)O3 (BBTA) ceramics have been prepared through solid state reaction route. The room temperature x-ray diffraction study suggests that BBTA ceramics have single phase tetragonal symmetry with space group P4mm. In contrast to the sharp dielectric transition of pure BaTiO3, a broad dielectric anomaly coupled with the shift in dielectric maxima toward a higher temperature with increasing frequency has been observed in BBTA. The quantitative characterization based on empirical parameters (ΔTm, γ, ΔTrelax, and ΔTdiffuse(1 kHz)) confirms its relaxor nature. The dielectric relaxation which follows the Vogel–Fulcher relationship with Eα=0.011 eV, Tf=356 K, and f0=1.38×1010 Hz, further supports spin-glass-like characteristics. In this system, the relaxor behavior can be attributed to the dynamic response of the polar clusters induced by the combined substitutions of Bi3+ and Al3+ on the Ba2+ and Ti4+ site. Moreover, the curie temperature of BBTA shows the decreasing trend compared to that of pure BaTiO3, which doesn't follow the normal Vegard's law, confirming that no BiAlO3 sublattice formed in BBTA. All these features indicate that BBTA is a promising candidate for lead-free relaxors.