Domain pinning behavior of ferroelectric Pb1-xSrxTiO3 ceramics

• Published in: Journal of the European Ceramic Society Vol. 25; no. 12; pp. 2505 - 2508
• Main Authors: CHOU, Chen-Chia, HOU, Chun-Shu, YEH, Tsung-Her
• Format: Conference Proceeding Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Oxford Elsevier 2005
• Subjects: Applied sciences; Building materials. Ceramics. Glasses; Ceramic industries; Chemical industry and chemicals; Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Dielectric, piezoelectric, ferroelectric and antiferroelectric materials; Dielectrics, piezoelectrics, and ferroelectrics and their properties; Electrotechnical and electronic ceramics; Exact sciences and technology; Niobates, titanates, tantalates, pzt ceramics, etc; Physics; Technical ceramics; Electrical properties; Ferroelectric domain; Ferroelectric ceramics; Fatigue; Experimental study; Electron microscopy; Oxide ceramics; Ferroelectric; Perovskite; Transmission electron microscopy; Domain structure; Lead Strontium Titanates Mixed; Anchoring; Electroceramics
• ISSN: 0955-2219; 1873-619X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2005.03.091

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was employed to investigate 90 deg domain nucleation, growth and interactions of ferroelectric (Pb1--xSrx)TiO3 (PSrT) ceramics under electrical loading in the present work. Experimental results imply that as--sintered specimens exhibit simple domain arrangements. Domain boundaries multiply quickly by nucleating from grain--boundaries and/or defective regions under electrical loading. A conventional 90 deg domain boundary may dissociate into a set of zigzag domain boundaries with unconventional polarization arrangements under alternate electrical stimulation. If the zigzag domains grew and were impeded by one or a set of boundaries, leading to domain pinning, another sets of zigzag domains may nucleate from a 90 deg domain boundary again. Nucleation, growth and pinning of domain boundaries repeated and finally highly strained grains with polarization degradation and defects appear during electric polarization cycles.