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The influence of uniaxial compressive stress on small-signal relative permittivity and direct piezoelectric coefficient of polycrystalline Li-modified (K0.5Na0.5)NbO3 (0, 2, and 4 mol. % Li) was characterized as a function of temperature from 25 to 450 °C. These data reveal corresponding anomalies in both the dielectric and piezoelectric properties near the well-known structural phase transitions in (KxNa1 − x)NbO3. In particular, increasing stress was found to shift the orthorhombic–tetragonal (T O − T ) and tetragonal–cubic (T C) phase boundaries to higher temperatures, thereby stabilizing the lower symmetry phases. Experimental results also show that stress up to a critical value flattens the piezoelectric response below T O − T , above which a monotonic decrease is observed. In contrast, permittivity is increased below T O − T with increasing stress. These results are used to construct a stress–temperature phase diagram of Li-modified (K0.5Na0.5)NbO3. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Powder aerosol deposited (PAD) ceramic thick films are a promising candidate for applications in energy storage and energy harvesting. The room-temperature deposition process allows for integration of ceramic films on low-melting substrates, such as stainless steel and polymers, without sintering. Despite this, the dielectric and electromechanical properties vastly differ from bulk ceramics due to internal residual stresses, oxygen defects, and the nano-grained microstructure associated with the deposition process. Although thermal annealing can improve macroscopic properties, precise control of the thermal expansion mismatch between the film and the substrate is required to avoid delamination and film cracking. In this study, we present a method to determine the actual thermal expansion of the film based on the fabrication of freestanding PAD films. Utilizing freestanding films, we demonstrate that dopants and processing conditions such as the carrier gas species directly influence oxygen defects thus modulating the unit cell volume and the conductivity of the oxide film. This is found to be crucial to attain improved dielectric properties within a moderate temperature environment (500 °C) preserving the benefits of the room-temperature deposition process. Additional densification mechanisms are investigated with transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and X-ray microtomography. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sintering conditions govern the optimized functional properties of ceramics. However, solid-state processing of Bi1/2K1/2TiO3 (BKT), an important end member for lead-free piezoelectric solid solutions suitable for higher temperature (≤ 300 °C) transducer applications, is challenging due to the low melting temperature (≈1070 °C). In this work, the sintering temperature (1030 °C, 1050 °C, and 1060 °C) and dwell time (10 h, 20 h, and 40 h)-dependent functional properties of solid-state processed BKT were investigated, where the sintering condition-dependent dielectric and electromechanical properties were correlated with the variations in crystal structure and microstructure. Although X-ray diffraction data revealed a single-phase tetragonal structure of BKT at room temperature for all sintering conditions, significant changes in both the tetragonal distortion and spontaneous relaxor-ferroelectric transition were observed, which were directly related to the optimized functional properties. In addition, Rayleigh behavior of the piezoelectric coefficient was characterized between −150 °C and 400 °C, demonstrating that the electromechanical response is dominated by the intrinsic contribution, which can be explained by large tetragonal distortion and associated suppression of non-180° domain wall motion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sintering conditions govern the optimized functional properties of ceramics. However, solid-state processing of Bi1/2K1/2TiO3 (BKT), an important end member for lead-free piezoelectric solid solutions suitable for higher temperature (≤ 300 °C) transducer applications, is challenging due to the low melting temperature (≈1070 °C). In this work, the sintering temperature (1030 °C, 1050 °C, and 1060 °C) and dwell time (10 h, 20 h, and 40 h)-dependent functional properties of solid-state processed BKT were investigated, where the sintering condition-dependent dielectric and electromechanical properties were correlated with the variations in crystal structure and microstructure. Although X-ray diffraction data revealed a single-phase tetragonal structure of BKT at room temperature for all sintering conditions, significant changes in both the tetragonal distortion and spontaneous relaxor-ferroelectric transition were observed, which were directly related to the optimized functional properties. In addition, Rayleigh behavior of the piezoelectric coefficient was characterized between −150 °C and 400 °C, demonstrating that the electromechanical response is dominated by the intrinsic contribution, which can be explained by large tetragonal distortion and associated suppression of non-180° domain wall motion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A novel technique for the rapid room‐temperature deposition of porous ceramic, glass, or metal thick films using the aerosol deposition (AD) method is presented. The process is based on the co‐deposition of the desired film material and a second water‐soluble constituent, resulting in a ceramic‐ceramic composite. Following the subsequent removal of water‐soluble end member, a network of pores is retained. To demonstrate the process, porous BaTiO3 thick films were fabricated through co‐deposition with NaCl. Microstructural images show the clear development of a porous structure, which was found to enhance the dielectric properties over dense thick films, possibly related to the lower extent of internal residual stress. This simple but highly effective porous structure fabrication can be applied to any film and substrate material stable in water and is promising for the application of AD‐processed films in gas sensors, solid oxide fuel cells, and humidity sensors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Piezoelectric ceramics are envisioned as cell stimulating materials for in-vivo , load-bearing applications. To compensate for their brittle nature developing ceramic films on medically accredited metals is a promising approach. However, high temperature consolidation is often required to achieve highly dense ceramics with suitable functional properties, which can compromise the metal substrate integrity. With aerosol deposition highly dense thick films can be produced at room temperature. Still, an annealing step is required to enhance the functional properties of piezoelectric ceramics. Thermal annealing of dense, aerosol deposited BaTiO 3 thick films on 304SUS stainless steel gave a clear enhancement of the dielectric properties. An increase in saturation polarization and the adoption of ferroelectric hysteresis at 750 °C coincided with a significant reduction in mechanical properties. The simultaneous appearance of grain growth and diffusion of chromium from the substrate at 750 °C suggests that chromium acts as a sintering aid. [Display omitted] • Thermal annealing results in transition from dielectric to ferroelectric polarization hysteresis behavior. • Thermal expansion coefficient mismatch between film and substrate influence quality of annealed film. • Correlation between grain-growth and chromium diffusion from substrate into thick film. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]