Investigation on PZT-based nanostructured functional materials

Abstract

The ferroelectric Pb(Zr_x Ti_1−x )O₃, lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics are well-known piezoelectric materials for electro-mechanical transducers. In the present studies, Ta-doped PZT ceramics were prepared by kinetic energy processing and solid-state oxide route. X-ray Diffraction (XRD) studies are done to determine the presence of perovskite phase in sintered PZT ceramics. Microstructural studies were carried out by using Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) and Atomic Force Microscope (AFM). Detailed dielectric and piezoelectric studies were carried out for the sintered samples. Ta-doped PZT ceramics prepared by kinetic energy processing route followed by sintering has higher dielectric constant, compared to conventionally prepared PZT.