BaTiO3-based piezoelectrics: Fundamentals, current status, and perspectives

Abstract

We present a critical review that encompasses the fundamentals and state-of-the-art knowledge of barium titanate-based piezoelectrics. First, the essential crystallography, thermodynamic relations, and concepts necessary to understand piezoelectricity and ferroelectricity in barium titanate are discussed. Strategies to optimize piezoelectric properties through microstructure control and chemical modification are also introduced. Thereafter, we systematically review the synthesis, microstructure, and phase diagrams of barium titanate-based piezoelectrics and provide a detailed compilation of their functional and mechanical properties. The most salient materials treated include the (Ba,Ca)(Zr,Ti)O3, (Ba,Ca)(Sn,Ti)O3, and (Ba,Ca)(Hf,Ti)O3 solid solution systems. The technological relevance of barium titanate-based piezoelectrics is also discussed and some potential market indicators are outlined. Finally, perspectives on productive lines of future research and promising areas for the applications of these materials are presented.

High temperature creep‐mediated functionality in polycrystalline barium titanate

“…This work outlines an approach to delineate different creep regimes and offers tools to investigate changes to the microstructure, which will be correlated with changes observed in electrical conductivity, dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties. For this first study, the prototype ferroelectric BaTiO 3 was chosen as the model material …”

Origin of Grain Size Effects on Voltage‐Driven Ferroelastic Domain Evolution in Polycrystalline Tetragonal Lead Zirconate Titanate Thin Film

“…Many experimental studies on the effect of grain size on properties have been reported in ferroelectric polycrystalline ceramics . These papers consistently report that the piezoelectric response drastically decreased for an average grain size <1 µm for typical ferroelectric materials (Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 (PZT) or BaTiO 3 ).…”

“…Microstructure effects on piezoelectric response are one of the most important but complicated topics in polycrystalline ferroelectrics. The texture of polycrystalline ceramics directly affects the piezoelectric response and contributes to residual strains due to the thermal expansion anisotropy of the materials as well as the ferroelectric switching behavior . Among these microstructure parameters, grain size is an important parameter in determining the piezoelectric response.…”

Designing novel sodium bismuth titanate lead‐free incipient perovskite for piezoactuator applications

“…As shown in Figure 5A, the unipolar strain loops tend to become increasingly saturated with increasing external field due to a more complete ergodic relaxor-ferroelectric transformation at a high field. 41,42 As shown in Figure 5B and Figure S4B, the excellent strain performance of the BZT4 sample remains stable with variations of less than 2% in the frequency range of 1-20 Hz. However, BZT6 presents a lower strain response than BZT4 since the BZT6 composition deviates to a large extent from the ferroelectric (nonergodic)-relaxor (ergodic) phase boundary ( Figure 1I), which increases the actuating field required for triggering the reversible phase transition.…”

“…34,35 Figure 5A-C presents the unipolar S-E curves at various electric fields, frequencies and temperatures, respectively, to further evaluate the practical potential of BZT4 in actuator applications. [2][3][4]9,[12][13][14][15][16][17]28,[36][37][38][39][40][41][42][43][44][45] It shows that most NBTbased incipient piezoceramics present a large strain hysteresis of 50%-80%, which is disadvantageous to practical applications. As shown in Figure 5A, the unipolar strain loops tend to become increasingly saturated with increasing external field due to a more complete ergodic relaxor-ferroelectric transformation at a high field.…”