In the presented thesis, lead-free Ba(Ti0.8Zr0.2)O3-(Ba0.7Ca0.3)TiO3 (BZT-BCT) thin films were deposited on Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si substrates using chemical solution deposition method and then the effect of process parameters were investigated to obtain optimum parameters of these lead-free thin films. The phase was selected near to the morphotropic phase boundary (MPH) to increase the number of polarization directions where rhombohedral and tetragonal phases exist together. In this study, the effect of sintering temperatures on microstructure, dielectric and ferroelectric properties were studied systematically. Among the various high-quality BZT-BCT thin films with uniform thickness, the optimum dielectric and ferroelectric responses were observed for films annealed at 800 oC for 1 h sintering time. The thickness was kept constant for all measurements as 500 nm (triple layered films). Therefore, the average grain sizes were found around 60 nm for samples sintered at 700,750 and 800 oC. BZT-BCT thin films sintered at 800 oC showed effective remnant polarization and coercive field values of 2.9 &micro / C/cm2 and 49.4 kV/cm, together with a high dielectric constant and low loss tangent of 365.6 and 3.52 %, respectively, at a frequency of 600 kHz due to pure perovskite phase showing full crystallization and minimum surface porosity obtained at this temperature.

Pb(Zr₀.₅₂Ti₀.₄₈)O₃ (PZT) thin films are of interest for their large dielectric permittivity, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties. The material has been widely studied for use in high frequency transducers, multi-layered capacitors, and ferroelectric random access memory. Copper foils are an inexpensive, flexible substrate with a low resistivity which makes them ideal for many transducer and capacitor applications. PZT thin films on copper foils were produced by RF sputtering and crystallized under reducing conditions. Causes and prevention of a cuprous oxide interlayer are discussed. The film structure was characterized by XRD, SEM, and AFM. The permittivity was low, but remanent polarization increased to as high as ~40 μC/cm² as film thickness and crystallization temperature increased. Residual stresses were measured by x-ray diffraction using the sin²ψ method. The relative permittivity of the PZT/Cu films was measured as a function of applied AC electric field. By performing a Rayleigh analysis on this data one can determine the relative contributions of the intrinsic, reversible, and irreversible components to the permittivity. The residual stress could be correlated to the reversible part of the permittivity. The first order reversal curves (FORCs), which characterize the ferroelectric switching, give indications of the defect state of the film. Cantilever energy harvesters were fabricated. Large electrodes were able to be evaporated onto the films after oxidizing pinholes and cracks on a hot plate. Devices were tested on a shaker table at < 100 Hz. A dynamic model based on Euler-Bernoulli beam equations was used to predict power output of the fabricated devices. The observed output was comparable to model predictions. Resonant frequency calculations were in line with observed first and second resonances at ~17 Hz and ~35 Hz which were also close to those predicted by the dynamic model. / Graduation date: 2013

No description available.

The aim of doctoral dissertation „Grain Size Effect on Dielectric Properties of Ferroelectrics and Relaxors“ by Maksim Ivanov is to investigate, how grain size of ceramics and powders of a few ferroelectrics and relaxors influences macroscopic dielectric properties. The studied materials are powders of a relaxor PbMg⅓Nb⅔O3 (PMN), ceramics of a relaxor with a spontaneous phase transition PbSc½Nb½O3 (PSN), ceramics of a ferroelectric 0.36BiScO3-0.64PbTiO3, and ceramics of Ba2SnO4, which were compared to a better investigated BaSnO3. Investigations were performed in broad frequency (100 Hz – 55 GHz) and temperature (30 K – 1000 K) ranges. Experimental investigations and modelling showed, that bulk properties of relaxor materials are heavily influenced by polar nanoregions, but they do not fully determine them. Morphology of the material (i.e. grain size of ceramics) determines growth and interactions of the nanoregions, thus influencing bulk properties. Moreover, effective medium approximation can explain evolution of dielectric properties of ferroelectrics and relaxors only if dependence of bulk properties on grain size is known. The most interesting result is, that there exist polar entities in ferroelectrics, which are different from ferroelectric domains and are similar to polar nanoregions in relaxors. Their contribution to dielectric permittivity can be comparable to all other contributions. Dimensions of these entities depend on grain size in accordance with Kittel's law. / Maksimo Ivanovo daktaro disertacijos tema yra “Grūdų dydžio įtaka dielektrinėms feroelektrikų ir relaksorių savybėms”. Šio darbo tikslas yra ištirti, kaip keramikų ar miltelių grūdų dydis įtakoja makroskopiškai stebimas kelių feroelektrikų bei feroelektrinių relaksorių dielektrines savybes. Tirtos medžiagos yra klasikinio relaksoriuas PbMg⅓Nb⅔O3 (PMN) milteliai, relaksoriaus su savaiminiu feroelektriniu faziniu virsmu PbSc½Nb½O3 (PSN) keramikos, feroelektriko 0.36BiScO3-0.64PbTiO3 keramikos, bei Ba2SnO4 keramiką, kuri buvo palyginta su kiek labiau žinoma BaSnO3 keramika. Tyrimai buvo atlikti plačiame dažnių (100 Hz – 55 GHz) bei temperatūrų (30 K – 1000 K) intervaluose. Eksperimentiniai tyrimai bei modeliavimai parodė, kad polinės nanosritys labai stipriai įtakoja tūrines relaksorių savybes, tačiau jų neapsprendžia. Medžiagos morfologija (antai keramikų grūdų dydis) lemia nanosričių augimą bei tarpusavio sąveikas, tokiu būdų įtakojamos tūrinės savybės. Be to, efektyvios terpės aproksimacija gali paaiškinti feroelektrikų ir relaksorių dielektrinių savybių priklausomybę nuo grūdų dydžio tik, jei žinomas sąryšis tarp dydžio ir tūrinių savybių. Įdomiausia yra tai, kad feroelektrikuose yra objektų, kurie nėra feroelektriniai domenai ir yra panašūs į relaksorių polines nanosritis. Jų indėlis į dielektrinę skvarbą gali būti palyginamas su visų kitų procesų (pvz. domenų sienelių ir polinių modų) indėliais. Šių objektų dydis priklauso nuo grūdų dydžio pagal Kittel'io dėsnį.

Maksimo Ivanovo daktaro disertacijos tema yra “Grūdų dydžio įtaka dielektrinėms feroelektrikų ir relaksorių savybėms”. Šio darbo tikslas yra ištirti, kaip keramikų ar miltelių grūdų dydis įtakoja makroskopiškai stebimas kelių feroelektrikų bei feroelektrinių relaksorių dielektrines savybes. Tirtos medžiagos yra klasikinio relaksoriuas PbMg⅓Nb⅔O3 (PMN) milteliai, relaksoriaus su savaiminiu feroelektriniu faziniu virsmu PbSc½Nb½O3 (PSN) keramikos, feroelektriko 0.36BiScO3-0.64PbTiO3 keramikos, bei Ba2SnO4 keramiką, kuri buvo palyginta su kiek labiau žinoma BaSnO3 keramika. Tyrimai buvo atlikti plačiame dažnių (100 Hz – 55 GHz) bei temperatūrų (30 K – 1000 K) intervaluose. Eksperimentiniai tyrimai bei modeliavimai parodė, kad polinės nanosritys labai stipriai įtakoja tūrines relaksorių savybes, tačiau jų neapsprendžia. Medžiagos morfologija (antai keramikų grūdų dydis) lemia nanosričių augimą bei tarpusavio sąveikas, tokiu būdų įtakojamos tūrinės savybės. Be to, efektyvios terpės aproksimacija gali paaiškinti feroelektrikų ir relaksorių dielektrinių savybių priklausomybę nuo grūdų dydžio tik, jei žinomas sąryšis tarp dydžio ir tūrinių savybių. Įdomiausia yra tai, kad feroelektrikuose yra objektų, kurie nėra feroelektriniai domenai ir yra panašūs į relaksorių polines nanosritis. Jų indėlis į dielektrinę skvarbą gali būti palyginamas su visų kitų procesų (pvz. domenų sienelių ir polinių modų) indėliais. Šių objektų dydis priklauso nuo grūdų dydžio pagal Kittel'io dėsnį. / The aim of doctoral dissertation „Grain Size Effect on Dielectric Properties of Ferroelectrics and Relaxors“ by Maksim Ivanov is to investigate, how grain size of ceramics and powders of a few ferroelectrics and relaxors influences macroscopic dielectric properties. The studied materials are powders of a relaxor PbMg⅓Nb⅔O3 (PMN), ceramics of a relaxor with a spontaneous phase transition PbSc½Nb½O3 (PSN), ceramics of a ferroelectric 0.36BiScO3-0.64PbTiO3, and ceramics of Ba2SnO4, which were compared to a better investigated BaSnO3. Investigations were performed in broad frequency (100 Hz – 55 GHz) and temperature (30 K – 1000 K) ranges. Experimental investigations and modelling showed, that bulk properties of relaxor materials are heavily influenced by polar nanoregions, but they do not fully determine them. Morphology of the material (i.e. grain size of ceramics) determines growth and interactions of the nanoregions, thus influencing bulk properties. Moreover, effective medium approximation can explain evolution of dielectric properties of ferroelectrics and relaxors only if dependence of bulk properties on grain size is known. The most interesting result is, that there exist polar entities in ferroelectrics, which are different from ferroelectric domains and are similar to polar nanoregions in relaxors. Their contribution to dielectric permittivity can be comparable to all other contributions. Dimensions of these entities depend on grain size in accordance with Kittel's law.

Morphotrope PZT-Keramiken sind Festkörperlösungen aus Bleizirkonat und Bleititanat mit chemischen Zusammensetzungen um die 47% Ti-Anteil. Sie weisen im gepolten Zustand die größten piezoelektrischen Koppelkonstanten auf und sind daher von speziellem Interesse. Zur Vorhersage des Polungszustandes und der Bauteilfestigkeit in komplexen Bauteilen werden elektromechanisch gekoppelte Materialmodelle benötigt. In dieser Arbeit wird ein mikromechanischer Modellansatz aus der Literatur aufgegriffen. Ausgangspunkt ist ein dreidimensionales tetragonales Modell, welches ein repräsentatives Volumenelement des Kornverbundes und ein mikroskopisches Kornmodell vereint. Damit gelingt die Beschreibung der Korninteraktionen infolge unterschiedlicher Polungszustände der Körner. Die Domänenstruktur der Körner wird mittels der Volumenanteile der kristallographischen Varianten dargestellt. Ein vereinfachter Satz an mikroskopischen Materialkonstanten wird anhand experimenteller Daten und theoretischer Betrachtungen aus der Literatur abgeleitet. Die für zwei Lastfälle berechneten makroskopischen Materialantworten zeigen explizit, dass das tetragonale Modell nicht in der Lage ist, das Verhalten morphotroper PZT-Keramiken nachzubilden. Aus diesem Grund wird das Modell im Hinblick auf die besondere kristallographische Struktur morphotroper PZT-Keramiken um eine rhomboedrische Phase in veränderlichen Anteilen erweitert. Die somit berechneten makroskopischen Antworten stimmen sowohl quantitativ als auch qualitativ gut mit experimentellen Ergebnissen überein. Der Einfluss der im Modell berücksichtigten Kristallstruktur auf die makroskopische Materialantwort wird in der Arbeit ausführlich analysiert. / Morphotropic PZT ceramics are solid solutions made of lead zirconate and lead titanate with chemical composition around 47% Ti-content. When poled they possess the greatest piezoelectric coupling constants for which they are of special interest. Predicting the poling condition and the strength in complex devices requires electromechanically coupled material models. Within this work, a micromechanical modelling approach is utilised. Starting point is a three-dimensional tetragonal model, which combines a representative volume element of the grain compound together with a microscopic grain model. This allows the consideration of grain interaction due to different poling conditions of the grains. The domain structure of the grains is captured by volume fractions of the crystallographic variants. A simplified set of microscopic material constants is derived from experimental and theoretical data given in the literature. The macroscopic material response, which is computed for two load cases, shows explicitly that the tetragonal model is not capable of reproducing the behaviour of morphotropic PZT ceramics. Therefore, the model is extended by the rhombohedral phase in varying quantity with view of the specific crystallographic structure of morphotropic PZT ceramics. The so computed macroscopic response shows a quantitatively as well as qualitatively good agreement with experimental results. The effect of the crystallographic structure which is considered within the model on the macroscopic material response is extensively analysed.

Thesis (M.S.)--University of Alabama at Birmingham, 2008. / Description based on contents viewed May 30, 2008; title from title screen. Includes bibliographical references (p. 50-51).

Cette thèse s’intéresse à la conception de nouveaux matériaux compositesferroélectriques/diélectriques aux propriétés accordables en tension. Des granules diélectriques(MgO, TiO2) obtenues par atomisation sont dispersées dans une matrice ferroélectrique (Ba1-xSrxTiO3). Le mélange est ensuite densifié par Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). Une approcheoriginale est développée afin de déterminer les paramètres reliant la microstructure aux propriétésphysiques pour chacune des étapes de la boucle d’optimisation élaboration - caractérisation -modélisation. La stratégie adoptée s’appuie sur i) l’utilisation des propriétés spécifiques du frittageSPS qui offre une gestion précise des interfaces entre les différents composés. Cette méthode nonconventionnellea permis l’élaboration de composites ferroélectriques architecturés, constituésd’inclusions diélectriques de géométries contrôlées ; ii) les potentialités offertes par lamicrotomographie X comme moyen de description de la microstructure 3D des matériauxcomposites aux étapes clés de leur conception. Couplée à de puissants outils de traitements desimages elle permet d’extraire les éléments pertinents guidant l’optimisation et la compréhension despropriétés finales ; iii) le développement d’un modèle numérique 3D de l’accordabilité appliquédirectement à la géométrie réelle des matériaux extraite des images de microtomographie. Cetteétape est essentielle pour comprendre l’origine de la redistribution du champ électrique entre lesphases. Les résultats numériques obtenus sont directement confrontés aux mesuresexpérimentales. / This thesis is focused on the conception of new tunable ferroelectric/dielectric compositematerials. Dielectric granules (MgO, TiO2) obtained by spray-drying are dispersed in a ferroelectricmatrix (Ba1-xSrxTiO3). Mixing powder is then densified by Spark Plasma Sintering (SPS). An originalapproach is developed in order to determine parameters linking the microstructure to the physicalproperties for each step of the elaboration - characterization - modelling optimization procedure.The adopted strategy is based on i) specific SPS properties which provide an accurate control of theinterfaces between each components; ii) potentialities offered by X-ray microtomography to describethe internal 3D microstructure of the composite materials during the key steps of their elaboration.Associated with powerful image processing tools, it allows to obtain relevant elements guiding theoptimization and understanding of the final properties; iii) the development of a 3D numerical modelof tunability applied directly to the real geometry which has been extracted from 3Dmicrotomography images. This step is essential to understand the origin of the redistribution of theelectric field between the different phases. Numerical results are directly compared to experimentalmeasurements.

Cette thèse vise à trouver des approches possibles pour l’amélioration des propriétés électromécaniques de monocristaux piézoélectriques à base de KNN. La TSSG et la SSSG sont entreprises afin de faire croître des monocristaux La conclusion de l'aspect de croissance cristalline est: (1) Pour chaque élément pris individuellement, leurs coefficients de ségrégation reposent fortement sur leurs concentrations initiales dans la solution liquide. (2) La compétition entre éléments occupant le même site du réseau est démontrée. (3) Le très faible coefficient de ségrégation de Li dans la matrice KNN est responsable de l'apparition d'une phase secondaire présentant la structure bronze de tungstène quadratique. (4) Les régions optiquement laiteuses observées dans les monocristaux diminuent la réponse électrique et peuvent être réduites par traitement thermique et refroidissement lent. Dans la deuxième partie, nous avons utilisé trois approches pour améliorer le comportement piézo/ferroélectrique des monocristaux à base de KNN. La Ta ou Sb substitution indique qu'une réponse électromécanique améliorée est obtenue lorsque la transition orthorhombique-quadratique est à proximité de la température ambiante. Le traitement thermique sous atmosphère d'O2 pur a conduit au doublement de la valeur du coefficient piézoélectrique et des paramètres ferroélectriques d'un monocristal de (K,Na,Li) (Ta,Nb,Sb)O3. Son coefficient piézoélectrique à la température ambiante, qui constitue un record mondial à l’heure actuelle vis-à-vis de ce qui est reporté dans la littérature internationale, vaut 732 pC/N. La troisième approche consiste au dopage des monocristaux de (K,Na,Li)(Ta,Nb)O3 avec Mn. / The thesis aims to find possible approaches for improved electromechanical properties in KNN-based piezoelectric single crystals. Both submerged-seed and top-seeded solution growth techniques were employed to produce single crystals. Conclusions from the crystal growth aspect are: (i) For individual elements, segregation coefficients highly rely on the initial concentration in the liquid solution. (ii) A competition between elements occupied on the same lattice site was found. (iii) The very low Li segregation coefficient in the KNN matrix is responsible for the occurrence of a secondary phase with the tetragonal tungsten bronze structure. (iv) Observed optically-cloudy regions in as-grown crystals decrease the electrical response and can be reduced by thermal treatment with slow cooling. In the second part, we used three approaches to enhance the piezoelectric and ferroelectric behavior of KNN-based single crystals. Ta or Sb substitutions indicates that enhanced electromechanical response is achieved when the orthorhombic-tetragonal phase transition is near room temperature. Thermal treatment in pure O2 atmosphere resulted in a twofold increase of the piezoelectric coefficient and ferroelectric parameters of a (K,Na,Li)(Ta,Nb,Sb)O3 single crystal. The highest room-temperature piezoelectric coefficient in annealed KNN-based single crystals of 732 pC/N was obtained. The third approach, doping with Mn ions in (K,Na,Li)(Ta,Nb)O3 single crystals, is also presented.

Orientador: José de los Santos Guerra / Resumo: O titanato de bário (BaTiO3, BT) é um material ferroelétrico com diversas aplicações, dentro do mercado de componentes eletrônicos, devido às excelentes propriedades físicas que manifesta, em relação a outros sistemas ferroelétricos, continuando a atrair durante várias décadas o interesse científico e comercial. Dentre o grande número de trabalhos sobre o sistema BT reportados na literatura muitos são associados à vasta gama de aplicações para a indústria eletro-eletrônica, dentre as quais se destacam o uso em dispositivos para capacitores, termistores, entre outros. A dopagem do BaTiO3 com íons doadores implica na mudança de algumas propriedades físicas, que conduzem a comportamentos anómalos em determinados parâmetros físicos, cuja natureza ainda não tem sido muito esclarecida, embora muitos trabalhos tenham se empenhado para tentar justificar tais efeitos. Neste contexto, neste trabalho, as propriedades físicas do sistema BaTiO3 serão investigadas considerando a adição de elementos doadores, nos sítios A e B da estrutura. Em particular, os íons de gadolínio (Gd3+) e nióbio (Nb5+) serão usados como modificadores da estrutura perovskita em substituição dos íons de bário (Ba2+) e titânio (Ti4+) nos sítios A e B, respectivamente, considerando as fórmulas químicas Ba1-xGdxTiO3 e BaTi1-x NbxO3 (sendo x = 0.001, 0.002, 0.003, 0.004 e 0.005). As propriedades estruturais e microestruturais foram investigadas à temperatura ambiente, enquanto as propriedades dielétricas e elétricas f... (Resumo completo, clicar acesso eletrônico abaixo) / Doutor