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Crystals
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Synthesis and Characterization of Ferroelectrics
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Synthesis and Characterization of Ferroelectrics

A special issue of Crystals (ISSN 2073-4352). This special issue belongs to the section "Inorganic Crystalline Materials".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: closed (31 March 2020) | Viewed by 23039

Printed Edition Available!
A printed edition of this Special Issue is available here.

Special Issue Editor

Prof. Dr. Jan Dec

E-Mail Website
Guest Editor
Institute of Materials Sciences, University of Silesia, Katowice, Poland
Interests: relaxor ferroelectrics; domain structure of ferroelectrics; low-frequency dielectric relaxation; non-linear dielectric response; mesoscopic disorder in ferroics
Special Issues, Collections and Topics in MDPI journals

Special Issue Information

Dear colleagues,

Ferroelectrics have been one of the most used and studied materials in both scientific and industrial communities. In addition to their foremost property (ferroelectricity), these materials also display other numerous attractive utility properties, such as piezoelectricity, piroelectricity, and electro-optics, which designate them as multifunctional materials particularly suitable for a wide range of applications ranging from effective sensors, actuators, and transducers to optical and memory devices. Since the discovery of ferroelectricity in Rochelle Salt in 1920 by J. Valasek, numerous applications using such effects have been developed. In addition, ferroelectrics and other ferroics exhibit a highly non-linear response, which is changeable rather then fixed, and thus are able to mimic to a large extent biological systems. This is why this kind of behavior is qualified as “smartness” and their respective systems are termed as “smart materials”.

All of the above features are strongly related to the material structure. This particularly applies to relaxor ferroelectrics, which are known as intrinsically inhomogeneous at various length scales with the frustration of local polarization. This characteristic limits the achievement of long-range ferroelectric order at a global scale. This accounts for the variety of mesoscale structures and the tendency for the specific pattern formation responsible for the particular properties of relaxors.

Recently high-performance lead-free piezoelectric ceramics have attracted much attention from the research community. This is due to the European Union’s (EU) legislation on hazardous substances in electronic components. At present, the vast majority of piezoelectric devices are based on solid solutions of lead-containing oxides. Thus, effective lead-free alternatives constitute a subject of increasing interest both in basic and applied research investigations.

The purpose of this collection is to present an up-to-date view of ferroelectric multifunctional and smart materials, which are considered to be among the future's most important materials. This Special Issue of Crystals aims to explore all aspects of crystal structure, crystal growth, ceramic technology, and characterization techniques of ferroelectric materials. Your contributions to the above issue are warmly welcome

Prof. Jan Dec
Guest Editor

Manuscript Submission Information

Manuscripts should be submitted online at www.mdpi.com by registering and logging in to this website. Once you are registered, click here to go to the submission form. Manuscripts can be submitted until the deadline. All submissions that pass pre-check are peer-reviewed. Accepted papers will be published continuously in the journal (as soon as accepted) and will be listed together on the special issue website. Research articles, review articles as well as short communications are invited. For planned papers, a title and short abstract (about 100 words) can be sent to the Editorial Office for announcement on this website.

Submitted manuscripts should not have been published previously, nor be under consideration for publication elsewhere (except conference proceedings papers). All manuscripts are thoroughly refereed through a single-blind peer-review process. A guide for authors and other relevant information for submission of manuscripts is available on the Instructions for Authors page. Crystals is an international peer-reviewed open access monthly journal published by MDPI.

Please visit the Instructions for Authors page before submitting a manuscript. The Article Processing Charge (APC) for publication in this open access journal is 2100 CHF (Swiss Francs). Submitted papers should be well formatted and use good English. Authors may use MDPI's English editing service prior to publication or during author revisions.

Keywords

  • ferroelectrics
  • relaxor ferroelectrics
  • multifunctional materials
  • smart materials
  • single crystals
  • ceramics
  • domains
  • dielectric relaxation
  • lattice dynamics
  • ferroic glasses

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Published Papers (7 papers)

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Editorial

Jump to: Research, Review

2 pages, 147 KiB  
Editorial
Synthesis and Characterization of Ferroelectrics
by Jan Dec
Crystals 2020, 10(9), 829; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst10090829 - 17 Sep 2020
Viewed by 1696
Abstract
Ferroelectrics belong to one of the most studied groups of materials in terms of research and applications [...] Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis and Characterization of Ferroelectrics)

Research

Jump to: Editorial, Review

10 pages, 2514 KiB  
Article
Enhanced Electrocaloric Effect in 0.73Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.27PbTiO3 Single Crystals via Direct Measurement
by Biao Lu, Xiaodong Jian, Xiongwei Lin, Yingbang Yao, Tao Tao, Bo Liang, Haosu Luo and Sheng-Guo Lu
Crystals 2020, 10(6), 451; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst10060451 - 31 May 2020
Cited by 33 | Viewed by 2961
Abstract
Electrocaloric properties of [110] and [111] oriented 0.73Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.27PbTiO3 single crystals were studied in the temperature range of 293–423 K. The Maxwell relations and the Landau–Ginsburg–Devonshire (LGD) phenomenological theory were employed as the indirect method to calculate [...] Read more.
Electrocaloric properties of [110] and [111] oriented 0.73Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.27PbTiO3 single crystals were studied in the temperature range of 293–423 K. The Maxwell relations and the Landau–Ginsburg–Devonshire (LGD) phenomenological theory were employed as the indirect method to calculate the electrocaloric properties, while a high-resolution calorimeter was used to measure the adiabatic temperature change of the electrocaloric effect (ECE) directly. The results indicate that the directly measured temperature changes of ΔT > 2.5 K at room temperature were procured when the applied electric field was reversed from 1 MV/m to −1 MV/m, which are larger than those deduced pursuant to the Maxwell relation, and even larger than those calculated using the LGD theory in the temperature range of 293–~380 K. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis and Characterization of Ferroelectrics)
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7 pages, 2115 KiB  
Article
Capacitance Properties in Ba0.3Sr0.7Zr0.18Ti0.82O3 Thin Films on Silicon Substrate for Thin Film Capacitor Applications
by Xiaoyang Chen, Taolan Mo, Binbin Huang, Yun Liu and Ping Yu
Crystals 2020, 10(4), 318; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst10040318 - 19 Apr 2020
Cited by 6 | Viewed by 2903
Abstract
Crystalline Ba0.3Sr0.7Zr0.18Ti0.82O3 (BSZT) thin film was grown on Pt(111)/Ti/SiO2/Si substrate using radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. Based on our best knowledge, there are few reports in the literature to prepare the perovskite [...] Read more.
Crystalline Ba0.3Sr0.7Zr0.18Ti0.82O3 (BSZT) thin film was grown on Pt(111)/Ti/SiO2/Si substrate using radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering. Based on our best knowledge, there are few reports in the literature to prepare the perovskite BSZT thin films, especially using the RF magnetron sputtering method. The microstructure of the thin films was characterized using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and capacitance properties, such as capacitance density, leakage behavior, and the temperature dependence of capacitance were investigated experimentally. The prepared perovskite BSZT film showed a low leakage current density of 7.65 × 10−7 A/cm2 at 60 V, and large breakdown strength of 4 MV/cm. In addition, the prepared BSZT thin film capacitor not only exhibits an almost linear and acceptable change (ΔC/C ~13.6%) of capacitance from room temperature to 180 °C but also a large capacitance density of 1.7 nF/mm2 at 100 kHz, which show great potential for coupling and decoupling applications. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis and Characterization of Ferroelectrics)
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8 pages, 3338 KiB  
Article
Structure and Electrical Properties of Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3 Epitaxial Films with (110) Orientation
by Jianmin Song, Jie Gao, Suwei Zhang, Laihui Luo, Xiuhong Dai, Lei Zhao and Baoting Liu
Crystals 2019, 9(11), 558; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst9110558 - 25 Oct 2019
Cited by 11 | Viewed by 2744
Abstract
Pt/Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3/La0.5Sr0.5CoO3 (Pt/NBT/LSCO) ferroelectric capacitors were fabricated on (110) SrTiO3 substrate. Both NBT and LSCO films were epitaxially grown on the (110) SrTiO3 substrate. It was found that the leakage current [...] Read more.
Pt/Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3/La0.5Sr0.5CoO3 (Pt/NBT/LSCO) ferroelectric capacitors were fabricated on (110) SrTiO3 substrate. Both NBT and LSCO films were epitaxially grown on the (110) SrTiO3 substrate. It was found that the leakage current density of the Pt/NBT/LSCO capacitor is favorable to ohmic conduction behavior when the applied electric fields are lower than 60 kV/cm, and bulk-limited space charge-limited conduction takes place when the applied electric fields are higher than 60 kV/cm. The Pt/NBT/LSCO capacitor possesses good fatigue resistance and retention, as well as ferroelectric properties with Pr = 35 μC/cm2. The ferroelectric properties of the Pt/NBT/LSCO capacitor can be modulated by ultraviolet light. The effective polarization, ΔP, was reduced and the maximum polarization Pmax was increased for the Pt/NBT/LSCO capacitor when under ultraviolet light, which can be attributed to the increased leakage current density and non-reversible polarization P^ caused by the photo-generated carriers. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis and Characterization of Ferroelectrics)
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11 pages, 2286 KiB  
Article
Dielectric Relaxor and Conductivity Mechanism in Fe-Substituted PMN-32PT Ferroelectric Crystal
by Xiaojuan Li, Xing Fan, Zengzhe Xi, Peng Liu, Wei Long, Pinyang Fang, Feifei Guo and Ruihua Nan
Crystals 2019, 9(5), 241; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst9050241 - 7 May 2019
Cited by 7 | Viewed by 3236
Abstract
Fe-substituted PMN-32PT relaxor ferroelectric crystals were grown by a high-temperature flux method. The effects of charged defects on the dielectric relaxor and conductivity mechanism were discussed in detail. The Fe-substituted PMN-32PT crystal showed a high coercive field (Ec = 765 V/mm), [...] Read more.
Fe-substituted PMN-32PT relaxor ferroelectric crystals were grown by a high-temperature flux method. The effects of charged defects on the dielectric relaxor and conductivity mechanism were discussed in detail. The Fe-substituted PMN-32PT crystal showed a high coercive field (Ec = 765 V/mm), due to domain wall-pinning, induced by charged defect dipoles. Three dielectric anomaly peaks were observed, and the two dielectric relaxation peaks at low temperature were associated with the diffusion phase transition, while the high temperature one resulted from the short-range hopping of oxygen vacancies. At temperature T ≤ 150 °C, the dominating conduction carriers were electrons coming from the first ionization of oxygen vacancies. For the temperature range from 200 to 500 °C, the conductivity was composed of the bulk and interface between sample and electrode, and the oxygen vacancies were suggested to be the conduction mechanism. Above 550 °C, the trapped electrons from the Ti3+ center were excited and played a major role in electrical conduction. Our results are helpful for better understanding the relationship between dielectric relaxation and the conduction mechanism. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis and Characterization of Ferroelectrics)
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10 pages, 2224 KiB  
Article
Element Segregation and Electrical Properties of PMN-32PT Grown Using the Bridgman Method
by Sijia Wang, Zengzhe Xi, Pinyang Fang, Xiaojuan Li, Wei Long and Aiguo He
Crystals 2019, 9(2), 98; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst9020098 - 15 Feb 2019
Cited by 9 | Viewed by 3293
Abstract
A single crystal with nominal composition Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-32PbTiO3 (PMN-32PT) was grown by the Bridgman technique. Crystal orientation was determined using the rotating orientation X-ray diffraction (RO-XRD). Element distribution was measured along different directions using inductively coupled plasma-mass [...] Read more.
A single crystal with nominal composition Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-32PbTiO3 (PMN-32PT) was grown by the Bridgman technique. Crystal orientation was determined using the rotating orientation X-ray diffraction (RO-XRD). Element distribution was measured along different directions using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The effect of the element segregation along axial and radial directions on the electrical properties of the PMN-32PT crystal was investigated. It is indicated that the electrical properties of the samples along the axial direction were strongly dependent on the PT (PbTiO3) content. With the increase of the PT content, the piezoelectric coefficient and remnant polarization were improved. Differently, the electrical properties of the samples along the radial direction were mainly determined by the ratio of the Nb and Mg. The reasons for the element segregation and electrical properties varied with the composition were discussed. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis and Characterization of Ferroelectrics)
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Review

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12 pages, 604 KiB  
Review
Prospective of (BaCa)(ZrTi)O3 Lead-free Piezoelectric Ceramics
by Wenfeng Liu, Lu Cheng and Shengtao Li
Crystals 2019, 9(3), 179; https://doi.org/10.3390/cryst9030179 - 26 Mar 2019
Cited by 33 | Viewed by 5385
Abstract
Piezoelectric ceramics is a functional material that can convert mechanical energy into electrical energy and vice versa. It can find wide applications ranging from our daily life to high-end techniques and dominates a billion-dollar market. For half a century, the working horse of [...] Read more.
Piezoelectric ceramics is a functional material that can convert mechanical energy into electrical energy and vice versa. It can find wide applications ranging from our daily life to high-end techniques and dominates a billion-dollar market. For half a century, the working horse of the field has been the polycrystalline PbZr1−xTixO3 (PZT), which is now globally resisted for containing the toxic element lead. In 2009, our group discovered a non-Pb piezoelectric material, (BaCa)(ZrTi)O3 ceramics (BZT-BCT), which exhibits an ultrahigh piezoelectric coefficient d33 of 560–620 pC/N. This result brought extensive interest in the research field and important consequences for the piezoelectric industry that has relied on PZT. In the present paper, we review the recent progress, both experimental and theoretical, in the BZT-BCT ceramics. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Synthesis and Characterization of Ferroelectrics)
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