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Antiferroelectric thin films have attracted blooming interest due to their potential application in energy storage areas. Pb(1−3x/2)LaxHfO3 (PLHO-x, x = 0–0.05) thin films were fabricated on Pt(111)/TiO2/SiO2/Si substrates via the chemical solution deposition method. The x-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy results show that the doping of La3+, which has a smaller ion radius, leads to a slight decrease in the lattice constant and unit cell volume, which can induce the lattice distortion. In addition, the dielectric and polarization properties indicate that with an increase in the temperature or La3+ content, the antiferroelectric (AFE) I phase can transform into an AFE II phase, exhibiting a slimmer P–E loop with enhanced switching field and more pronounced polarization dispersion. Notably, PLHO-0.04 showcases excellent energy storage performance (55 J/cm3, at 2.8 MV/cm). This material also exhibits good thermal, frequency, and fatigue stability. These results suggest that the energy storage performance of PbHfO3-based films can be enhanced through the phase structure design, presenting a valuable approach to fulfill the growing demand for advanced energy storage devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Antiferroelectric and ferroelectric materials are prominent non-linear dielectric materials with significant applications across various fields. To fully understand their electrical properties, it is crucial to accurately discriminate the two phases, especially in compositions with the coexistence of antiferroelectric and ferroelectric phases. In this study, we propose an easy method for differentiating domain structures from phase coexistence based on split outskirt reflections. The proposed method addresses existing limitations in the spatial phase distribution and lays the groundwork for understanding their structure–property relationships. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the developments of the electronic industry, efforts to achieve high DC insulating reliability are underway to improve the mean time to failure (MTTF) of multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs). However, there are few studies on appropriate measuring methods to evaluate their different reliability characteristics quantificationally. This study measured different reliability characteristics of BaTiO 3 -based multilayer ceramic capacitors sintered at three different temperatures with highly accelerated life tests (HALTs). Kaplan–Meier survival analysis, two-parameter Weibull fitting, and a new method using a stud genetic algorithm were used to calculate their MTTF in HALT conditions, and the comparison among them was carried out to select a proper fitting way. With the appropriate method, their MTTF at the rated condition was predicted and compared. Their conduction modes were also differentiated to explain their aging sensitivities to temperature and voltage. As a result, a proper way to evaluate the sample's reliability characteristics with a bathtub curve was established, and the best sintering temperature for capacitance that is also the best for reliability at the rated condition was confirmed. Meanwhile, different conducting models of MLCCs were also proved to be related to their insulation stability. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In recent years, the development of environmentally friendly, lead-free ferroelectric films with prominent electrostrictive effects have been a key area of focus due to their potential applications in micro-actuators, sensors, and transducers for advanced microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). This work investigated the enhanced electrostrictive effect in lead-free sodium bismuth titanate-based relaxor ferroelectric films. The films, composed of (Bi0.5Na0.5)0.8−xBaxSr0.2TiO3 (BNBST, x = 0.02, 0.06, and 0.11), with thickness around 1 μm, were prepared using a sol-gel method on Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si substrates. By varying the Ba2+ content, the crystal structure, morphology, and electrical properties, including dielectric, ferroelectric, strain, and electromechanical performance, were investigated. The films exhibited a single pseudocubic structure without preferred orientation. A remarkable strain response (S > 0.24%) was obtained in the films (x = 0.02, 0.06) with the coexistence of nonergodic and ergodic relaxor phases. Further, in the x = 0.11 thick films with an ergodic relaxor state, an ultrahigh electrostrictive coefficient Q of 0.32 m4/C2 was achieved. These findings highlight the potential of BNBST films as high-performance, environmentally friendly electrostrictive films for advanced microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) and electronic devices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Mn‐doped (1‐x)Bi0.5(Na0.8K0.2)0.5TiO3‐xBiAlO3 (Mn:BNKT‐xBA) thin films were synthesized on lanthanum nickelate‐coated silicon substrates by sol‐gel method. The second phase issue of the film can be effectively addressed by optimizing the substrate, and the maximum polarization and breakdown strength can be increased by introducing the proper amount of Al3+, which is advantageous for the film for energy storage. The results have shown that the Mn:BNKT‐0.03BA film exhibits superior ferroelectric properties (with remanent polarization (Pr) of 23.72 µC/cm2, maximum polarization (Pmax) of 75.37 µC/cm2), which could be an excellent candidate for ferroelectric thin film capacitors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Pyroelectric materials have been widely studied because of their important role in infrared detectors, sensors, thermal imaging, and other applications, among which, lead-based ceramics are extensively adopted. However, the environmental problems caused by lead-based compounds in production and processing are becoming increasingly serious. Meanwhile, the surface mounting technology is extensively employed in the electronics industry for device miniaturization and integration. However, due to its high processing temperature (∼260 °C), it makes most pyroelectric ceramic materials unsuitable for this process. Therefore, it is of great significance to develop novel high-performance lead-free pyroelectric ceramics with high depolarization temperature (>260 °C). In this work, we report the Na0.995Ag0.005NbO3-0.1%Mn (NANM) pyroelectric ceramics. The antiferroelectric–ferroelectric phase transition field and coercive field of NaNbO3 ceramics were reduced by the introduction of AgNbO3 and Mn, making it easier to induce the ferroelectric phase and realize poling in NANM ceramics. The NANM ceramics exhibited an excellent pyroelectric coefficient of 2.55 × 10−4 C m−2 K−1 and figures of merit as Fi = 0.93 × 10−10 m/V, Fv = 6.46 × 10−2 m2/C, and Fd = 2.92 × 10−5 Pa−1/2 at room temperature. More importantly, a high depolarization temperature of 280 °C was achieved, ensuring the ability to withstand high temperature during production and operation. The NANM ceramics with excellent pyroelectric properties and high depolarization temperature are expected to be a promising lead-free candidate for uncooled infrared detector applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The discharge performance of antiferroelectric (AFE) capacitors is complicated and difficult to simulate due to the nonlinear polarization behavior of AFE. In this work, a nonlinear model for pulsed discharge AFEs was proposed based on a combination of the Preisach model and Kirchhoff's law. The model was driven by the data from first-order reversal curves and direct-current-bias (DC-bias) dielectric test measurements. Thus, the discharge behavior of the AFE can be studied without actual discharge experiments. Specifically, AFE discharge waveforms were calculated and evaluated for different size parameters and external circuit parameters that were conducive to compare the properties of different AFE materials. Moreover, the size effect of the capacitor on the discharge performance was discussed, which should draw the attention of researchers to prevent exaggerated conclusions. As a consequence, this method would fill the gap of AFE discharge simulation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

With the rapid growth of energy storage capacitors in advanced power systems, the pursuit of lightweight devices is gradually gaining importance despite the urgent need for device miniaturization. To reduce the mass of dielectric energy storage materials, certain light metal elements, such as potassium (K) and sodium (Na), offer promising prospects for achieving low material density. However, the intrinsic formation of point defects, including alkali metal vacancies and oxygen vacancies (Schottky defects), is inevitable during high-temperature sintering because of the volatilization of alkali metal oxides. These defects can lead to high conductivity under high electric fields, thereby deteriorating energy storage performance (ESP). In this work, we focus on a potassium-rich composition, K2La0.75Gd0.25Nb5O15, which is characterized by a tetragonal tungsten bronze (TTB) structure, to investigate the impact of volatile point defects. Different types of defects were designed by changing the K2O content, and energy storage properties were investigated. Based on leakage current measurements, impedance spectra, and DFT calculation results, it could be concluded that K–O defects with a shallow energy level cause conduction loss, thereby influencing polarization and ESP. Consequently, a high recoverable energy storage density (Wrec) of 5.02 J cm−3 and an energy efficiency of 85.6% were simultaneously achieved for the composition with the lowest defect content. This work reveals a mechanism in which volatile defects dominate conduction behavior and relevant ESP, stresses the significance of suppressing alkaline Schottky defects, and provides a feasible solution to developing lightweight dielectric energy storage materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

PbZrO3 has been broadly considered as a prototypical antiferroelectric material for high-power energy storage. A recent theoretical study suggests that the ground state of PbZrO3 is threefold-modulated ferrielectric, which challenges the generally accepted antiferroelectric configuration. However, such a novel ferrielectric phase was predicted only to be accessible at low temperatures. Here, we successfully achieve the room-temperature construction of the strongly competing ferrielectric and antiferroelectric state by strain-mediated phase separation in PbZrO3/SrTiO3 thin film. We demonstrate that the phase separation occurs spontaneously in quasi-periodic stripe-like patterns under a compressive misfit strain and can be tailored by varying the film thickness. The ferrielectric phase strikingly exhibitsa threefold modulation period with a nearly up-up-down configuration, which could be stabilized and manipulated by the formation and evolution of interfacial defects under applied strain. The present results construct a fertile ground for further exploring the physical properties and applications based on the novel ferrielectric phase. There is a desire to know how the threefold ferrielectric coexists with the antiferroelectric phase. Here, the authors realize a threefold-modulated ferrielectric phase regulated by strain-mediated phase separation in PbZrO3 thin film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]