Electrical characteristics and conduction mechanism of microwave-sintered (Ba0.8Sr0.2)(Zr0.1Ti0.8Ce0.1)O3 electronic ceramics

This paper presents the fabrication and electrical characterization of a lead-free polycrystalline complex electronic material Ba0.8Sr0.2(Zr0.1Ti0.8Ce0.1)O3 (abbreviated as BSZTCO) using standard experimental techniques. The phase identification of the material, determined using X-ray diffraction data, depicts the formation of a multi-phase system. The various electrical parameters were obtained at different frequencies (102–106 Hz) and temperatures (20–500 °C) using the phase-sensitive meter and found interesting results. Study of the micrograph of natural surfaces of the sample suggests that the ceramic sample has been formed with high density grain growth (without any cracks or voids). The transport properties and dielectric relaxation characteristics of the material have been studied using modulus and impedance spectroscopy techniques. Temperature dependence of conduction behavior (Nyquist plot) confirms the presence of bulk and grain boundary effects in the material. The charge transfer by hopping dominates the electrical transport process of the material as revealed from conductivity analysis. The dielectric relaxation of the material is studied using a complex modulus spectrum depicting non-Debye type relaxation.