U.S. patent application number 10/635240 was filed with the patent office on 2005-05-26 for electromechanical actuators.
Invention is credited to Chiang, Yet-Ming, Farrey, Gregory W., Hagood, Nesbitt W. IV, Sheets, Sossity A., Soukhojak, Andrey, Wang, Haifeng.
Application Number | 20050109263 10/635240 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 27393515 |
Filed Date | 2005-05-26 |
United States Patent
Application |
20050109263 |
Kind Code |
A9 |
Chiang, Yet-Ming ; et
al. |
May 26, 2005 |
Electromechanical actuators
Abstract
A perovskite compound of the formula,
(Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2).sub.1-xM.sub.-
x(Ti.sub.1-yM'.sub.y)O.sub.3.+-.z, where M is one or more of Ca,
Sr, Ba, Pb, Y, La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Th, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and
Lu; and M' is one or more of Zr, Hf, Sn, Ge, Mg, Zn, Al, Sc, Ga,
Nb, Mo, Sb, Ta, W, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co and Ni, and 0.01<x<0.3, and
0.01<y<0.3, and z<0.1 functions as an electromechanically
active material. The material may possess electrostrictive or
piezoelectric characteristics.
Inventors: |
Chiang, Yet-Ming;
(Framingham, MA) ; Sheets, Sossity A.; (Chandler,
AZ) ; Farrey, Gregory W.; (Lansing, MI) ;
Hagood, Nesbitt W. IV; (Wellesley, MA) ; Soukhojak,
Andrey; (Somerville, MA) ; Wang, Haifeng;
(Mountain View, CA) |
Correspondence
Address: |
WOLF GREENFIELD & SACKS, PC
FEDERAL RESERVE PLAZA
600 ATLANTIC AVENUE
BOSTON
MA
02210-2211
US
|
Prior
Publication: |
|
Document Identifier |
Publication Date |
|
US 0139911 A1 |
July 22, 2004 |
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Family ID: |
27393515 |
Appl. No.: |
10/635240 |
Filed: |
August 5, 2003 |
Related U.S. Patent Documents
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Application
Number |
Filing Date |
Patent Number |
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10635240 |
Aug 5, 2003 |
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09827806 |
Apr 6, 2001 |
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09827806 |
Apr 6, 2001 |
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09174981 |
Oct 19, 1998 |
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6231779 |
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60085109 |
May 12, 1998 |
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60062531 |
Oct 20, 1997 |
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60195835 |
Apr 11, 2000 |
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60221278 |
Jul 27, 2000 |
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Current U.S.
Class: |
117/47 ;
252/62.9R; 264/436; 501/134; 501/136; 75/952; 75/954 |
Current CPC
Class: |
C04B 2235/762 20130101;
C01G 29/006 20130101; C01G 51/006 20130101; C04B 35/462 20130101;
C04B 35/499 20130101; C04B 2235/3224 20130101; C01P 2004/03
20130101; C04B 2235/3251 20130101; C04B 2235/6562 20130101; C01G
53/006 20130101; F01L 9/20 20210101; C04B 2235/3201 20130101; C04B
2235/3213 20130101; F21V 21/35 20130101; C04B 35/653 20130101; C04B
2235/6565 20130101; C04B 2235/768 20130101; C01G 49/009 20130101;
C01G 43/006 20130101; C04B 2235/3217 20130101; C04B 2235/76
20130101; C04B 2235/3234 20130101; C04B 2235/3258 20130101; H01L
41/187 20130101; C04B 35/49 20130101; C04B 35/62675 20130101; C04B
2235/3244 20130101; C01P 2004/80 20130101; C04B 2235/526 20130101;
C04B 2235/3241 20130101; C04B 2235/32 20130101; C04B 2235/3298
20130101; C04B 2235/3262 20130101; C04B 2235/3287 20130101; C04B
2235/3225 20130101; C04B 2235/765 20130101; C04B 35/475 20130101;
C04B 2235/3206 20130101; C04B 2235/3294 20130101; C01G 23/006
20130101; C04B 2235/77 20130101; C01P 2006/40 20130101; C04B
35/6262 20130101; C04B 2235/3229 20130101; C30B 9/00 20130101; C01P
2002/52 20130101; C01P 2002/72 20130101; C04B 2235/3275 20130101;
C04B 35/62259 20130101; C04B 2235/3284 20130101; C04B 2235/3286
20130101; C04B 2235/3208 20130101; C04B 2235/3272 20130101; C04B
2235/3236 20130101; C04B 2235/5264 20130101; C01P 2002/34 20130101;
C04B 35/6261 20130101; C04B 2235/3293 20130101; C04B 35/62695
20130101; C04B 2235/3215 20130101; C04B 2235/3296 20130101; C04B
2235/3279 20130101; C04B 2235/3256 20130101; C04B 2235/5276
20130101; C04B 2235/604 20130101; C30B 29/32 20130101; C30B 9/00
20130101; C30B 29/32 20130101 |
Class at
Publication: |
117/047 ;
252/062.90R; 501/134; 501/136; 264/436; 075/952; 075/954 |
International
Class: |
C30B 013/00; C30B
021/04; C30B 028/08; E04B 001/74; C04B 035/00; C04B 035/46; C04B
035/48; C04B 035/49; H05B 006/00; B22F 009/00 |
Goverment Interests
[0003] This invention was made with government support under Grant
Number N00014-97-0989 awarded by the Office of Naval Research. The
government has certain rights in the invention.
Claims
What is claimed is:
1. An electromechanically active material comprising: a perovskite
compound of the formula,
(Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2).sub.1-xM.sub.x(Ti.sub.1-x-
M'.sub.y)O.sub.3.+-.z, where M is one or more of Ca, Sr, Ba, Pb, Y,
La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu; and M' is
one or more of Zr, Hf, Sn, Ge, Mg, Zn, Al, Sc, Ga, Nb, Mo, Sb, Ta,
W, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co and Ni, and 0.01<x<0.3, and
0.01<y<0.3, and z<0.1
2. An electromechanically active material comprising: a perovskite
compound of the formula,
(Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2).sub.1-xM.sub.x(Ti.sub.1-y-
M'.sub.y)O.sub.3.+-.z, where M is one or more of Ca, Sr, Ba, and
Pb; and M' is one or more of Zr, Hf, and Sn, and 0.01<x<0.3,
and 0.01<y<0.2, and z<0.1.
3. An electromechanically active material comprising: a perovskite
compound of the formula,
(Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2).sub.1-xBa.sub.x(Ti.sub.1--
yM'.sub.y)O.sub.3.+-.z, where M' is one or more of Zr and Hf, and
0.01<x<0.2, 0.01<y<0.1, and z<0.1
4. The material of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the material is
selected from the group consisting of single crystals, textured
polycrystalline materials, and polycrystalline materials.
5. The material of claim 4 wherein the material is in the form of a
rod, fiber, ribbon, or sheet.
6. The material of claim 4, wherein the material is a
polycrystalline material.
7. The actuator of claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the material is a
piezoelectric material.
8. The actuator of claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the material is an
electrostrictive material with an electric field-induced strain
greater than about 0.1% at a field less than 60 kV/cm.
9. The actuator of claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the material is an
electrostrictive material with an electric field-induced strain
greater than about 0.2% at a field less than 60 kV/cm.
10. The actuator of claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the material is an
electrostrictive material with an electric field-induced strain up
to about 0.45% at a field less than 60 kV/cm.
11. The actuator of claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the material exhibits
a field-forced phase transition.
12. The material of claim 1, 2, or 3, wherein the material exhibits
both piezoelectric properties and a field-forced phase
transition.
13. The material of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein the parameters
.alpha., .beta. and .gamma. are selected such that the perovskite
phase has a rhombohedral crystal symmetry.
14. The material of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein parameters .alpha.,
.beta. and .gamma. are selected such that the perovskite phase has
a tetragonal crystal symmetry.
15. An electromechanically active material comprising: a single
crystal perovskite material of the formula,
M.sub..alpha.Bi.sub..beta.M'.sub..gam-
ma.M".sub..delta.O.sub.3.+-.z, where M is one or more of Na, K, Rb
and Cs; M' is one or more of Ca, Sr, Ba, Pb, Y, La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu,
Gd, Th, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu; and M" is one or more of Ti, Zr,
Hf, Sn, Ge, Mg, Zn, Al, Sc, Ga, Nb, Mo, Sb, Ta, W, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co
and Ni; where z.ltoreq.0.1; 0.9.ltoreq..delta..ltoreq.1.1; .alpha.,
.beta. and .gamma. are greater than zero; and
(.alpha.+.beta.+.gamma.) is in the range of about 0.75 to 1.1.
16. An electromechanically active material comprising: a perovskite
material of the formula,
Na.sub..omega.M.sub..alpha.Bi.sub..beta.M'.sub..-
gamma.M".sub..delta.O.sub.3.+-.z, where M is one or more of K, Rb
and Cs; M' is one or more of Ca, Sr, Ba, Pb, Y, La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu,
Gd, Th, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu; M" is one or more of Ti, Zr, Hf,
Sn, Ge, Mg, Zn, Al, Sc, Ga, Nb, Mo, Sb, Ta, W, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co and
Ni; where z.ltoreq.0.1; 0.9.ltoreq..delta..ltoreq.1.1; .alpha.,
.beta., .gamma. and .omega. are greater than zero; and
(.alpha.+.beta.+.gamma.+.omega.) is in the range of about 0.75 to
1.1.
17. The material of claim 16, wherein the material is selected from
the group consisting of single crystalline materials, textured
crystalline materials, and polycrystalline materials.
18. The material of claim 15 or 16, wherein the material is in the
form of a rod, fiber, ribbon, or sheet.
19. The material of claim 14, wherein (.alpha.+.beta.+.gamma.) is
in the range of about 0.75 to 0.95.
20. The material of claim 15 or 16, wherein perovskite material has
a d.sub.33 value of greater than 200 pC/N.
21. The material of claim 15 or 16, wherein the material exhibits a
strain of greater than 0.15%.
22. The material of claim 15 or 16, wherein the material exhibits a
low hysteresis of actuation.
23. The material of claim 16, wherein M comprises K.
24. The material of claim 15 or 16, wherein the material is a
single crystallite and the crystallite is a faceted crystal having
a selected crystalline plane exposed.
25. The piezoelectric material of claim 24, wherein the exposed
plane is the {100} plane of the corresponding cubic phase.
26. The piezoelectric material of claim 15 or 16, wherein the
parameters .alpha., .beta. and .gamma. are selected such that the
perovskite phase has a rhombohedral crystal symmetry.
27. The piezoelectric material of claim 15 or 16, wherein
parameters .alpha., .beta. and .gamma. are selected such that the
perovskite phase has a tetragonal crystal symmetry.
28. The piezoelectric material of claim 26, wherein parameters
.alpha., .beta. and .gamma. are selected such that the
piezoelectric material lies near a morphotropic phase boundary or
point.
29. The piezoelectric material of claim 27, wherein parameters
.alpha., .beta. and .gamma. are selected such that the
piezoelectric material lies near a morphotropic phase boundary or
point.
30. An electromechanically active material comprising: a perovskite
material having tetragonal crystal symmetry of the formula,
M.sub..alpha.Bi.sub..beta.M'.sub..gamma.M".sub..delta.O.sub.3.+-.z,
where M is one or more of Na, K, Rb and Cs, wherein M comprises at
least Na; M' is one or more of Ca, Sr, Ba, Pb, Y, La, Pr, Nd, Sm,
Eu, Gd, Tb, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu; M" is one or more of Ti, Zr,
Hf, Sn, Ge, Mg, Zn, Al, Sc, Ga, Nb, Mo, Sb, Ta, W, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co
and Ni; where z.ltoreq.0.1;
.alpha.+.beta.+.gamma.+.delta..ltoreq.2.0; .alpha.<.beta.; and
.beta.<0.5.
31. The material of claim 30 wherein 0.32<0.5.
32. An electromechanical actuator device, comprising: an array of
crystallographically textured crystals in a matrix, said array
exhibiting texture with respect to at least one crystallographic
axis, wherein the crystals comprise: a perovskite material of the
formula,
M.sub..alpha.Bi.sub..beta.M'.sub..gamma.M".sub..delta.O.sub.3.+-.z,
where M is one or more of Na, K, Rb and Cs; M' is one or more of
Ca, Sr, Ba, Pb, Y, La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Th, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb
and Lu; and M" is one or more of Ti, Zr, Hf, Sn, Ge, Mg, Zn, Al,
Sc, Ga, Nb, Mo, Sb, Ta, W, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co and Ni; where
z.ltoreq.0.1; 0.9.ltoreq..delta..ltoreq.1.1; .alpha., .beta. and
.gamma. are greater than zero; and (.alpha.+.beta.+.gamma.) is in
the range of about 0.75 to 1.1
33. The method of actuating a tetragonal phase perovskite
piezoelectric, comprising: providing a tetragonal phase perovskite
single crystal; and actuating the crystal by application of an
electric field in a direction out of the spontaneous polarization
direction of {100}.
34. The method of claim 33, wherein the crystal is actuated in the
<111> or <110> directions of the corresponding cubic
phase.
35. A method of preparing a crystallographically oriented array of
crystals, comprising: growing crystals or crystallites comprising
an electromechanically active material under conditions which allow
them to express a faceted morphology; and aligning a set of facets
and/or edges which is common to all of the crystals or crystallites
against a surface or edge, thereby resulting in a
crystallographically textured array of crystals.
36. The method of claim 35, wherein the crystal or crystallites
comprises a lead-containing perovskite or perovskite relaxor
compound.
37. The method of claim 35, wherein the crystals or crystallites
are grown in a flux liquid.
38. The method of claim 35, wherein the crystal or crystallite
comprises (Na, Bi, Ba)TiO.sub.3 or (Na, K, Bi, Ba)TiO.sub.3.
39. An electromechanical device, comprising: an array of
crystallographically textured crystals in a matrix, said array
exhibiting texture with respect to at least one crystal axis.
40. The device of claim 39, wherein said device selected from the
group consisting of sonar transducers, piezoelectric motors,
surface acoustic wave devices, adaptive mirrors, valves, ultrasonic
devices, passive and active structural composites, acoustic
dampening composites, positioning devices for manufacturing and
scanning probe microscopes, printer devices, and other suitable
actuation applications.
41. An electromechnaical device, comprising: at least one single
crystal fiber comprising an electromechanically acitive material
secured in an appropriate matrix.
42. The device of claim 41, wherein said device comprises passive
and active structural dampening composites, active fiber
composites, sonar transducers, ultrasonic devices, positioning
devices, and other suitable actuation applications.
43. The material of claim 1, 2 or 3, wherein .alpha., .beta., and
.gamma. are selected such that the single crystal is
antiferroelectric prior to the application of an electric field,
and such that under an applied electric field, the single crystal
transforms to a ferroelectric phase, said transformation being
accompanied by a strain of at least 0.1%.
44. The material of claim 43, wherein M=Na, M'=Ba, M"=Ti, and said
transformation from antiferroelectric to ferroelectric phase is
attained at a temperature of less than about 100.degree. C.
Description
[0001] This application is a continuation-in-part application of
U.S. Ser. No. 09/174,981 filed Oct. 19, 1998, entitled
"Piezoelectric Actuators and Methods of Making Same," which is
incorporated herein by reference.
[0002] This application claims priority from and is a
continuation-in-part application of U.S. Serial No. 60/195,835
filed Apr. 11, 2000, entitled "Electromechanical Actuators and
Methods of Making Same," and U.S. Serial No. 60/222,278 filed Jul.
27, 2000, entitled "Barium and Zirconium Co-Doped Sodium Bismuth
Titanate," both of which are incorporated herein by reference.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
[0004] This invention relates to a class of lead-free or low lead
perovskite structure oxide compounds useful as electromechanical
actuators. It also relates to composite actuators utilizing these
compounds in the form of oriented polycrystals or crystallites. The
invention relates to compositions exhibiting improved strain
coefficients, strain actuation and other properties relating to
piezoelectric or electrostrictive performance. The invention also
relates to a method of making an electromechanical device, e.g., a
piezoelectric or electrostrictive device, which incorporates
oriented crystallites.
[0005] Piezoelectric materials respond to the application of stress
by generating electrical polarization in the crystal, and generate
a strain upon application of electric field. The magnitude of the
piezoelectric effect or electromechanical effects, in general, is
measured in part by the piezoelectric coefficient d.sub.ab which is
a measure of the strain in the material due to the application of a
unit electric field and the electromechanical coupling constant
k.sub.ab, the square of which is a measure of the efficiency of
electromechanical energy conversion. The subscript a denotes the
direction in which the field is applied and the subscript b denotes
the direction of the measured actuation. The widely used
Pb.sub.xZr.sub.1-xTiO.sub.3 (PZT) family of piezoelectric actuators
typically show d.sub.33=200-700 pC/N, maximum strains before
dielectric breakdown of 0.3% and maximum electromechanical coupling
coefficients of k.sub.33.about.80%.
[0006] Single crystal ferroelectric perovskite compounds such as
Pb.sub.xMg.sub.1-xNb.sub.yTi.sub.1-yO.sub.3 (PMN-PT) and
Pb.sub.xZn.sub.1-xNb.sub.yTi.sub.1-y0.sub.3 (PZN-PT) have recently
been shown to have unusually good performance as piezoelectric
actuators, with strain coefficients d.sub.33 of up to 2500 pC/N,
maximum strains of 1.5%, and electrochemical coupling coefficients
of k=94%. See Kawata et al., Jap. J. Appl. Phys. 21:1298 (1982).
The piezoelectric properties are superior to those of PZT and
appear to be much easier to grow as single crystals than many other
perovskites, including PZT. At room temperature, these single
crystal actuators form the perovskite structure in a phase of
rhombohedral symmetry. They exhibit these superior properties only
when they are actuated out of the spontaneous polarization
direction, which is 11
[0007] when referred to the crystal axes of the corresponding cubic
perovskite. The highest actuation to date appears to have been
observed when the crystals are actuated with the applied field
parallel to the 100 direction of the corresponding cubic
perovskite.
[0008] A drawback to all these lead-based perovskites is the
toxicity of lead and associated difficulties in processing, crystal
growth and handling. In certain environmentally sensitive or
biologically sensitive applications, they can not be used. Another
drawback is the high density and relatively low elastic modulus of
the lead based perovskites. For applications where toxicity or
weight-based measures of performance are important, alternative
materials are desired.
[0009] (Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2)TiO.sub.3 (NBT) and
(K.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2)TiO.- sub.3 (KBT) are known to crystallize in
the perovskite crystal structure. See, Smolenskii et al., Soviet
Phys. Solid State 2(11):2651 (May, 1961) and Roleder et al,
Ferroelectrics 89:1 (1989). At room temperature, NBT is a
rhombohedral ferroelectric with a Curie temperature of 320.degree.
C. Undoped BNT has been grown as single crystals, and the structure
and phase transitions as a function of temperature have been
studied; however, the piezoelectric properties of the single
crystal are not known and it has not been used as a piezoelectric
actuator.
[0010] (Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2)TiO.sub.3 has also been alloyed with
alkaline earth titanates. Polycrystalline materials in the
(Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2)T- iO.sub.3--M'TiO.sub.3 (M'=Ca, Sr, Ba, Pb)
systems have been previously studied. See, Takenaka et al.
Ferroelectrics 7:347 (1974); and Jap. J. Appl. Phys. 30(9B):2236
(1991). In all these doped materials, the modest values of d.sub.33
and k.sub.33 make them of relatively limited interest for
piezoelectric actuation, when compared with materials such as
PZT.
[0011] Takenaka et al. reports the alloying of
(Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2)TiO.s- ub.3 with BaTiO.sub.3 (Jap. J. Appl.
Phys. 30(9B):2236 (1991)) or PbTiO.sub.3 (Elec. Eng. Japan
112(7):92 (September 1992)). The compounds exhibit a morphotropic
phase boundary (MPB) between rhombohedral (ferroelectric) and
tetragonal (ferroelectric) phases at approximately 6 molar % and
13.5 molar % of the additive, respectively, at 20.degree. C. Near
the morphotropic phase boundary, d.sub.33 values of approximately
125 pC/N and k.sub.33 of about 55% have been reported.
[0012] For (Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2)TiO.sub.3 alloyed with
CaTiO.sub.3, the morphotropic phase boundary between rhombohedral
(ferroelectric) and cubic (paraelectric) phases lies at
approximately 17% at 20.degree. C., and a 10% composition shows
d.sub.33 values of approximately 50 pC/N and k.sub.33 of about 38%.
See, Takenaka et al. Japan. J. Appl. Phys., 28:59 (1989).
[0013] (Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2)TiO.sub.3 alloyed with SrTiO.sub.3
shows a more complicated sequence of phases with increasing Sr
concentration. A rhombohedral phase (antiferroelectric) phase
intervenes between the rhombohedral (ferroelectric) and cubic
(paraelectric) endmembers. Some mixed substitutions such as those
between NBT and (Pb,Ba)TiO.sub.3 and (Pb.sub.2Sr)TiO.sub.3 have
also been characterized and show, near the morphotropic phase
boundary (MPB) between rhombohedral (ferroelectric) and tetragonal
(ferroelectric) phases, d.sub.33 125=pC/N and k.sub.33=55%. See,
Takenaka et al. Ferroelectrics 7:347 (1974).
[0014] While the intrinsic electromechanical properties of properly
oriented single crystals appear to be attractive, there are
numerous obstacles to their practical implementation. Firstly, the
growth, orientation, cutting and handling of large single crystals
is expensive and difficult. For example, a typical method of single
crystal growth is the Czochralski method in which a crystal may
take days to grow. Special precautions in crystal growth may have
to be taken for compounds that contain toxic and volatile
components, such as lead oxide. Secondly, ceramic ferroelectrics
are mechanically brittle and weak, more so than other ceramics such
as aluminum oxide, silicon nitride or silicon carbide. The act of
electrical actuation can be sufficient to cause fracture in a
single crystal actuator.
[0015] Polycrystalline materials are more tolerant of crystalline
defects and are easier to manufacture. Nonetheless, a conventional
polycrystalline ferroelectric, electrostrictive or magnetostrictive
actuator suffers in performance relative to an optimally oriented
single crystal. One reason is that randomly oriented crystallites
can not simultaneously be oriented with respect to an applied field
so as to optimize the intrinsically anisotropic crystal properties
in each grain. Another reason is that each single crystal grain
undergoes anisotropic crystal deformation under the applied field
and so works against its neighbors. This limits the net strain
which is achievable from polycrystalline actuator material.
[0016] If the majority of the gains in a polycrystal are textured,
that is, share one or more common crystallographic directions, the
electromechanical properties can approach those of a single
crystal. However, it is well-known to those skilled in the art that
polycrystalline ceramics are difficult to prepare in a textured
form. Ceramics which tend to grow grains with an anisotropic
platelet shape, such as micaceous minerals or the Bi--Sr--Ca--Cu-0
superconducting compound, or a needle-like shape, such as certain
magnetic oxides, can sometimes be prepared in an aligned form by
deformation and/or recrystallization of an initial isotropic grain
or by applying a high electric or magnetic field. Systems with
isotropic grain and crystallite shapes, which include the
perovskites of interest, are much harder to align. While oriented
polycrystalline perovskite ferroelectrics have been accomplished in
the form of thin films supported by a substrate they have not been
achieved in polycrystals suitable for actuation devices.
[0017] It is an object of the present invention to provide
perovskite compounds which are low in lead or lead-free and which
can be grown as single crystals for use as electromechanically
active materials.
[0018] It is a further object of the invention to provide
electromechanically active perovskite compounds of rhombohedral,
tetragonal and other phase symmetries for use in electromechanical
actuators.
[0019] It is a further object of the invention to provide
perovskite compounds which are low in lead or lead-free and which
have superior electromechanical properties, such as improved strain
coefficients, low hysteresis piezoelectric actuation, ultrahigh
room temperature electrostrictive actuation, improved coupling
constant and/or improved actuation strain.
[0020] Yet a further object of the invention is to provide a
piezoelectric composite device which provides the advantages of
anisotropic properties of large single crystal materials without
the need to use said large crystals.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
[0021] In accordance with the invention there are provided single
crystal and polycrystalline materials of a broad family of alkali
metal bismuth perovskite compositions which demonstrate
surprisingly unexpected electromechanical properties, e.g.,
piezoelectric, forced-field phase transition and electrostrictive
actuation.
[0022] In one aspect of the invention, an electromechanical
actuator comprising a single crystal perovskite material is
provided having the formula,
M.sub..alpha.Bi.sub..beta.M'.sub..gamma.M".sub..delta.O.sub.3.+--
.z, where M is one or more of Na, K, Rb and Cs; M' is one or more
of Ca, Sr, Ba, Pb, Y, La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Th, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm,
Yb and Lu; and M" is one or more of Ti, Zr, Hf, Sn, Ge, Mg, Zn, Al,
Sc, Ga, Nb, Mo, Sb, Ta and W; and where z.ltoreq.0.1;
0.9.ltoreq..delta..ltoreq.1.1; .alpha., .beta., and .gamma. are
greater than zero; and (.alpha.+.beta.+.gamma.) is in the range of
about 0.75 to 1.1, or preferably in the range of 0.75 to 0.95.
[0023] In another aspect of the invention, an electromechanical
actuator is provided comprising a perovskite material having the
formula,
Na.sub..omega.M.sub..alpha.Bi.sub..beta.M'.sub..gamma.M".sub..delta.O.sub-
.3.+-.z, where M is one or more of K, Rb and Cs; M' is one or more
of Ca, Sr, Ba, Pb, Y, La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Th, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm,
Yb and Lu; M" is one or more of Ti, Zr, Hf, Sn, Ge, Mg, Zn, Al, Sc,
Ga, Nb, Mo, Sb, Ta and W; where z.ltoreq.0.1;
0.9.ltoreq..delta..ltoreq.1.1; .alpha., .beta., .gamma. and .omega.
are greater than zero; and (.alpha.+.beta.+.gamma.+.omega.) is in
the range of about 0.75 to 1.1, preferably in the range of 0.75 to
0.95.
[0024] In preferred embodiments, the material may exhibit superior
piezoelectric properties such as a d.sub.33 value of greater than
200 pC/N, a piezoelectric strain of greater than 0.15% and/or low
hysteresis of actuation. For the purpose of the invention, "low
hysteresis" is defined with respect to a plot of the longitudinal
strain of the piezoelectric material against the applied electric
field. As the field is varied repeatedly at low frequency (e.g.,
less than 100 Hz) between a lower limit E.sub.1 and an upper limit
E.sub.2, where E.sub.1 and E.sub.2 have the same sign, the strain
varies between the limits .epsilon..sub.1 and .epsilon..sub.2. Low
hysteresis is defined as the instance where the area between the
increasing field and the decreasing field portions of the strain
curve is less than about 25% of the total area under the strain
curve measured upon increasing, the absolute value of the field
between the limits E.sub.1 and E.sub.2. The material may also
exhibit an electric field-forced phase transition from an
antiferroelectric to a ferroelectric phase, with an accompanying
strain of at least 0.1%.
[0025] In other preferred embodiments, the material exhibits a
substantially electrostrictive effect with an electric
field-induced strain of greater than 0.1%, or greater than 0.2% in
a field of less than 60 kV/cm. In another embodiment, the material
may exhibit a strain of up to 0.45% in field of less than 60
kV/cm.
[0026] It is desirable to obtain single crystalline materials near
the morphotropic phase boundary or point in the
M.sub..alpha.Bi.sub..beta.M'.-
sub..gamma.M".sub..delta.O.sub.3.+-.z, and
Na.sub..omega.M.sub..alpha.Bi.s-
ub..delta.M'.sub..gamma.M".sub..delta.O.sub.3.+-.z, systems to
maximize the electrical properties of the material. By
"morphotropic phase boundary" or MPB as that term is used herein it
is meant a boundary between two perovskite phases of different
crystal symmetry, at least one of which is ferroelectric or
antiferroelectric. By "morphotropic phase point" or MPP as that
term is used herein it is meant a point between three perovskite
symmetry phases, at least one of which is ferroelectric or
antiferroelectric. By "near" an MPB or MPP as that term is used it
is meant that any of the parameters .alpha., .beta., .gamma.,
.delta. and/or .omega. are within 3 mol % of a MPB or MPP.
[0027] The present invention has also surprisingly discovered that
composition some distance from the morphotropic phase boundary
possess interesting and useful properties. Specifically, a
perovskite compound of the formula,
(Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2).sub.1-xM.sub.x(Ti.sub.1-y)O.sub.3.+-.- z,
where M is one or more of Ca, Sr, Ba, Pb, Y, La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu,
Gd, Th, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu; and M' is one or more of Zr, Hf,
Sn, Ge, Mg, Zn, Al, Sc, Ga, Nb, Mo, Sb, Ta, W, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co and
Ni, and 0.01<x<0.3, and 0.01<y<0.3, and z<0.1 is an
electromechanically active material both near and at a distance
from the MPB. In preferred embodiments, the materials is a
perovskite of the formula,
(Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2).sub.1-xM.sub.x(Ti.sub.1-yM'.sub.y)O.sub.3-
.+-.z, where M is one or more of Ca, Sr, Ba, and Pb; and M' is one
or more of Zr, Hf, and Sn, and 0.01<x<0.3, and
0.01<y<0.2, and z<0.1, or it is a perovskite of the
formula, (Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2).su-
b.1-xBa.sub.x(Ti.sub.1-yM'.sub.y)O.sub.3.+-.z, where M' is one or
more of Zr and Hf, and 0.01<x<0.2, 0.01<y<0.1, and
z<0. The material may be an electrostrictive material with an
electric field-induced strain greater than about 0.1% at a field
less than 60 kV/cm.
[0028] Increased doping of BaTiO.sub.3 beyond the 6% BT-MPB
composition in NBT-BT continues to stabilize the ferroelectric
tetragonal phase. This invention demonstrates that through
simultaneous doping on the A- and B-sites in NBT with Ba.sup.2+ and
Zr.sup.4+, respectively, rhombohedral and tetragonal
non-ferroelectric phases can be stabilized for higher
concentrations of Ba.sup.2+ (up to 26 mol % Ba.sup.2+). Within the
same phases, relaxor properties are often enhanced by the
introduction of greater Ba.sup.2+ doping.
[0029] A- and B-site doping in polycrystalline samples succeeded in
isolating predominantly electrostrictive actuation. The highest
polycrystalline actuation strain, however, occurs for a set of
compositions that lie within regions showing mixed actuation
behavior. Predominantly electrostrictive strains >0.2% were
measured with minimal hysteresis at 0.05 Hz and d.sub.33>700
pC/N at 25 kV/cm, surpassing the maximum reported properties for
conventional PMN and PLZT at 1 Hz. Single crystals of the same
composition, phase, and electrostrictive actuation character show
up to 0.45% strain and maximum d.sub.33.about.2000 pC/N at 35
kV/cm. Predominantly ferroelectric polycrystalline compositions
with d.sub.33.about.310 pC/N are competitive with commercial PZT-8
(d.sub.33.about.300 pC/N).
[0030] (Ba, Zr) co-doped NBT compositions are thus a promising
alternative to the conventional lead-oxide based polycrystalline
perovskites, such as electrostrictive PMN and PLZT electrostrictors
and ferroelectric PZT-8, PMNT, PZT-5a for device applications.
[0031] This family of materials embodies a rhombohedral phase
single crystal or textured polycrystal material with low hysteresis
piezoelectric actuation and/or large piezoelectric strain
coefficient d.sub.33. The invention also provides a tetragonal
phase single crystal or textured polycrystal material having
exceptionally high piezoelectric strains and electrostrictive
strains, as well as heretofore unreported large d values.
[0032] In another aspect, the invention provides methods of
actuating tetragonal phase perovskite piezoelectric materials, by
applying an electric field to a single crystal in a direction out
of the spontaneous polarization direction of {100}. For example,
the direction may be 111 or 110 of the corresponding cubic
phase.
[0033] In yet another aspect, the invention provides methods of
preparing oriented arrays of crystals, which include growing
crystals or crystallites in a faceted morphology, and aligning a
set of facets and/or edges of the crystals to crystallites to
produce a textured array. These methods may be applied to the
inventive compositions described herein, and/or to lead-containing
perovskites or materials containing perovskite relaxor compounds.
The crystals or crystallites may be grown, for example, in a flux
liquid.
[0034] Further provided are devices comprising textured arrays of
crystals or crystallites in a matrix. The texture may be uniaxial
or multiaxial. Devices according to this aspect of the invention
may comprise one or more single crystal piezoelectric fibers
secured in an appropriate matrix.
[0035] The invention provides advantages for a very broad range of
applications where elecromechanical or piezoelectric actuators are
presently used, including but not limited to sonar transducers,
piezoelectric motors, surface acoustics wave (SAW) devices,
ultrasonic devices, passive and active structural composites for
applications from sporting goods to aircraft and motorcraft,
acoustic dampening composites, positioning devices for
manufacturing and scanning probe microscopes, printer devices, and
other suitable actuation applications.
Definitions
[0036] Electromechanical Actuator: device or material that exhibits
a mechanical strain upon the application of an electric field.
[0037] Electromechanically active material: a material that is
capable of converting electrical energy into mechanical energy, or
converting mechanical energy into electrical energy, or both.
Typically, the actuator demonstrates either piezoelectricity,
electrostriction, or an electric field-forced phase transition. A
piezoelectric material when electrically poled will develop an
electric charge on its surfaces in response to an applied
mechanical stress. It also develops a mechanical strain when an
electric field is applied across it. The piezoelectric effect is
often linear, producing a strain proportional to the electric field
with the displacement directionally dependent on the sign of the
applied field.
[0038] Electrostriction is present in all materials and is the
development of mechanical strain in response to an applied electric
field. For ordinary crystals, the electrostrictive effect is very
weak with a strain on the order of 10.sup.-11 in simple oxides and
10.sup.-6 in oxide perovskovites. The ultra-high electrostriction
demonstrated by the materials of the present invention show a
strain in excess of about 0.05%, or preferably about 0.1% at
electric fields below about 60 kV/cm, e.g., below about 50 kV.cm.
High strain electrostrictors are the preferred materials for
certain actuator applications because they can have negligible
hysteresis, i.e., no shift from their original zero field strain
upon removal of the field, and do not require electric poling to
preferentially orient crystal dipoles or domains in order to obtain
high electromechanical response. In addition to piezoelectricity or
electrostriction, certain materials develop mechanical strain under
an applied electric field due to a field-forced phase transition.
This phase transition can be of several kinds but in each instance
a new phase is formed under the influence of the electric field
resulting in an increased strain in the direction of the applied
field. In such electromechanically active materials, a sharp
increase in strain is often observed at a particular electric field
where the phase transition is induced.
[0039] While compositions are classified according to their
dominant character, nearly all compositions studied here exhibit a
mixed response, with significant electrostrictive contributions
overprinting the ferroelectric component, and in some compositions,
dominating the actuation character. It is understood that the
"electrostrictive" materials of the invention may exhibit mixed
actuation behavior.
[0040] Single Crystal: A physically isolated piece of a crystalline
compound across which the crystalline lattice is continuous, except
for the possible presence of occasional discontinuities in the form
of dislocations, pores, inclusions, and coherent interfaces such as
twin boundaries, stacking faults, or low-angle grain
boundaries.
[0041] Polycrystalline Material (or polycrystal): An assemblage of
multiple single crystalline grains.
[0042] Randomly Oriented Polycrystalline Material: A polycrystal
for which there is no common orientation of any crystallographic
axis of the compound between the individual single crystalline
grains except for that which occurs on a random statistical
basis.
[0043] Textured Polycrystalline Material: A polycrystal in which
there exists a degree of common orientation to any crystallographic
axis of the compound amongst the multiplicity of single crystals.
The common or shared orientation of the single crystals comprising
the polycrystal is, on average, greater than that which occurs due
to the random statistical placement of crystals. Textured
polycrystals can have uniaxial texture, wherein the multiplicity of
single crystalline grains share on average a preferred orientation
of a crystal axis along one direction, resulting in an axial
symmetry to the polycrystal. Textured polycrystals can also have
biaxial texture, wherein the multiplicity of single crystalline
grains share a preferred orientation of more than one crystal axis.
The degree of texture in a textured polycrystal can be great or
small, and can be determined by well known methods such as x-ray
diffraction pole figures, electron diffraction, or electron
channeling microscopy.
[0044] Composition terminology._This composition system will herein
be referred to as a
Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2TiO.sub.3--BaTiO.sub.3--Na.sub.1/2Bi-
.sub.1/2ZrO.sub.3 solid solution. The abbreviation NBT-xBT-yNBZ
will be used, where x and y represent mol % Ba and mol % Zr,
respectively. Alternatively, the composition may be referred to as
(Na.sub.182Bi.sub.1/2).sub.1-xM.sub.x(Ti.sub.1-yM'.sub.y)O.sub.3,
where x and y also represent mol % Ba and mol % Zr,
respectively.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0045] The invention is described with reference to the drawings,
which are presented for the purpose of illustration only and which
are in no way intended to be limiting of the invention and in
which:
[0046] FIG. 1 is a schematic ternary phase diagram for the
PbTiO.sub.3 or
BaTiO.sub.3--(K.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2)TiO.sub.3--(Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2)TiO.su-
b.3system at 25.degree. C.;
[0047] FIG. 2 is a schematic ternary phase diagram for the
CaTiO.sub.3--(K.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2)TiO.sub.3--(Na.sub.1/2
Bi.sub.1/2)TiO.sub.3 system at 25.degree. C.;
[0048] FIG. 3 is a schematic ternary phase diagram for the
SrTiO.sub.3--(K.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2)TiO.sub.3--(Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2)Tio.su-
b.3 system at 25.degree. C.;
[0049] FIG. 4 is a graph of microstrain vs. field strength for
tetragonal phase ferroelectric crystals actuated along pseudocubic
100 directions at room temperature;
[0050] FIG. 5 is a graph of high-field d.sub.33 for rhombohedral
and tetragonal crystals vs. uniaxial compressive strength, measured
from the slope of the linear strain vs. field relationship at 20
kV/cm ac field with a 30 kV/cm dc bias;
[0051] FIG. 6 is a top view (A) and a side view (B) of an array of
textured crystallites oriented according to the method of the
invention;
[0052] FIG. 7 is a top view (A) and a side view (B) of an array of
biaxially textured crystallites oriented according to the method of
the invention;
[0053] FIG. 8 is a graph of microstrain vs. applied voltage for
sample 1 before poling;
[0054] FIG. 9 is a graph of microstrain vs. applied voltage for
sample 1 after poling;
[0055] FIG. 10 is a graph of microstrain vs. electric field for
sample 1 after poling;
[0056] FIG. 11 is a graph of microstrain vs. electric field for
sample 2 before poling;
[0057] FIG. 12 is a graph of microstrain vs. electric field for
sample 2 after poling;
[0058] FIG. 13 is a graph of microstrain vs. field loops for Sample
3;
[0059] FIG. 14 is a graph of microstrain vs. field loops for Sample
5;
[0060] FIG. 15 is an x-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern for (A) a
textured single crystallite sample and (B) a randomly oriented
polycrystalline sample;
[0061] FIG. 16 is a photograph of a composite actuator assembled
from cubic single crystals;
[0062] FIG. 17 is a photograph of a crystal mass grown from Example
5;
[0063] FIG. 18 is an XRD pattern of the crystal mass of FIG. 17,
demonstrating crystallographic texturing of the polycrystals;
[0064] FIG. 19 is a photomicrograph of a high strain single crystal
of the invention;
[0065] FIG. 20 is an XRD pattern of the single crystal of FIG.
19;
[0066] FIG. 21 is a plot of microstrain vs. electric field for
rhombohedral single crystals after poling;
[0067] FIG. 22 is a plot of microstrain vs. applied field for the
crystal designated as BNT10C in Table 1 and having a Ba
concentration of 5.47%;
[0068] FIG. 23 is a plot of microstrain vs. applied field for the
crystal designated as BNT10E in Table 1 and having a Ba
concentration of 5.59%;
[0069] FIG. 24 is a plot of polarization vs. electric field loop
for the single crystal of FIG. 22;
[0070] FIG. 25 is a photomicrograph of numerous textured PZN-PT
crystals grown according to the method of the invention;
[0071] FIG. 26 is a reciprocal lattice net diffraction pattern for
crystal designated as NBT.sub.--08 3;
[0072] FIG. 27 is a electron diffraction pattern for crystal with
double cell indexing designated as NBT.sub.--08 25;
[0073] FIG. 28 is an XRD pattern for the congruently melting
crystal of Example 11;
[0074] FIG. 29 is photomicrograph of the single crystal fiber of
Example 11;
[0075] FIG. 30 is a series of plots of electric field-induced
strain vs. electric field for (a) 001, (b) 011, (c) 011) oriented
PZN-PT single crystal planes;
[0076] FIG. 31 is a plot of tolerance factor vs. fraction of dopant
in a NBT system for known MPB compositions;
[0077] FIG. 32 is a Fourier-filtered transmission electron
micrograph demonstrating nanodomains in a (Ba+Zr) co-doped NBT;
[0078] FIG. 33 illustrates the relaxor properties of a
polycrystalline (Ba+Zr) co-doped NBT material of the invention in
which (A) is a plot of % strain vs. applied field strength, (B) is
a plot of polarization with field strength, and (C) is a plot of
dielectric .epsilon..sub.r as a function of temperature;
[0079] FIG. 34 is a series photomicrographs illustrating the growth
and optical analysis of (Ba+Zr) co-doped NBT single crystals;
[0080] FIG. 35 is a plot of polarization with field strength, and s
a plot of dielectric .epsilon..sub.r as a function of temperature
for (Ba+Zr) co-doped NBT single crystals;
[0081] FIG. 36 is (A) a plot of % strain, and (B) a plot of the
piezoelectric constant d.sub.33 vs. field strength for (Ba+Zr)
co-doped NBT single crystals;
[0082] FIG. 37 is a table summarizing the trend in actuation and
polarization character for 3 mol % Zr.sup.4+ composition with
increasing Ba.sup.2+ concentation in the NBT-xBT-3NBZ system;
[0083] FIG. 38 is a plot of electrostrictive strain (bipolar and
unipolar vs. field for PE phase NBT-xBT-4NBZ polycrystals;
[0084] FIG. 39 is a plot of polarization and current vs. field for
PE phase NBT-XBT-4NBZ polycrystals;
[0085] FIG. 40 is (A) a plot of electrostrictive bipolar strain and
(B) electrostrictive polarization vs. field for PE phase
NBT-xBT-4NBZ polycrystals;
[0086] FIG. 41 is a plot of electrostrictive properties d.sub.33
and Q.sub.11 of PE phase NBT-xBT-4NBZ polycrystals; and
[0087] FIG. 42 is a plot of polarization vs. field, and
electromechanical strain vs. field, for NBT-xBT-yNBH
polycrystals.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION
[0088] Rhombohedral and Tetragonal Single Crystals with Improved
Electromechanical Performance.
[0089] In one aspect of the invention, single crystal forms of the
alkali metal bismuth titanate-alkaline earth titanate
(MBiTiO.sub.3--MTiO.sub.3) solid solution system are provided.
MM'BiTiO.sub.3 can form the desired perovskite crystal structure
when doped with alkaline earth titanates, the alkaline earth
substituting at the A-sites of the perovskite lattice structure,
where the A-site is defined as that cation site which is 12-fold
coordinated by oxygen.
[0090] In accordance with the invention, it is recognized that it
can be desirable to substitute elements such as Ca, Sr, Ba, Pb, Y,
La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Th, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu, in the
family of compositions of the invention at the A-site of the
perovskite, for the purposes of increasing the relaxor
permittivity, increasing the piezoelectric strain coefficient or
increasing the coupling constant of the composition. These
substitutions change the properties of the crystal and/or the
relative stability of the various perovskite phases by virtue of
their size or polarizability.
[0091] Also in accordance with the invention, it is recognized it
can be desirable to substitute elements such as Zr or Hf, Sn, Ge,
Mg, Zn, Al, Sc, Ga, Nb, Mo, Sb, Ta and W for Ti (the B-site) in the
family of compositions of the invention, for the purposes of
increasing the relaxor permittivity, increasing the piezoelectric
strain coefficient of the composition, or increasing the coupling
constant of the material. These substitutions change the properties
of the crystal and/or the relative stability of the various
perovskite phases by virtue of their size or polarizability.
[0092] In a preferred embodiment, single crystallites of the solid
solution
M.sub..alpha.Bi.sub..beta.M'.sub..gamma.M".sub..delta.O.sub.3.+--
.z, are provided. The crystallites appear as faceted crystals with
certain crystal planes exposed. The crystallites are preferably the
Wulff shape of the crystal, which is the shape preferred in order
to minimize the surface energy of the crystal, but may also be
shape determined by growth kinetics. In preferred embodiments, the
perovskite crystals have a cubic shape such that each face is a
{100} plane of the corresponding cubic phase. The crystallites vary
in size from about 0.1 mm to greater than 5 mm, but in any case are
smaller than the monolith single crystals grown from conventional
single crystal growth techniques such as Bridgeman growth or the
Czochralski method. Crystallites are obtained as described
hereinbelow.
[0093] In another preferred embodiment, textured or oriented
polycrystals are provided. The individual crystallites appear as
faceted crystals with certain crystal planes exposed. The oriented
polycrystals are oriented by alignment of a facet of the
crystallite with a surface or edge of a substrate. Oriented
polycrystallites are obtained as described hereinbelow.
[0094] Although some of the phase diagrams of the related
polycrystalline materials were known and understood to some degree,
prior to the invention it was not known if single crystals of any
of the (Na, M, Bi)TiO.sub.3 (NBT) or (K, Bi)TiO.sub.3 (KBT) family
of compositions could be grown, particularly in the rhombohedral
symmetry which has given high actuation strain in PMT-PT and PZN-PT
systems. Consequently, the electromechanical strain properties of
the single crystals were not known.
[0095] It has been surprisingly discovered that a composition of
rhombohedral phase symmetry and having the formula (M,
Bi)TiO.sub.3--M'TiO.sub.3, where M is one or more of Na, K, Rb and
Cs, M' is one or more of Ca, Sr, Ba, Pb, Y, La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd,
Th, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu, and where Ti may be substituted in
whole or in part by Zr or Hf, Sn, Ge, Mg, Zn, Al, Sc, Ga, Nb, Mo,
Sb, Ta and W, demonstrates a low hysteresis piezoelectric actuation
when the electric field is applied in the (001) direction of the
corresponding cubic phase. For example, in the
Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2TiO.sub.3--BaTiO.sub.3 subclass of this family
provided in accordance with the invention, low-hysteresis actuation
is possible in the rhombohedral ferroelectric phase when an
electric field is applied in the [100] direction. The term low
hysteresis is used as previously defined and is exemplified by the
strain vs. E field plots shown in FIGS. 10 and 21.
[0096] It also has been surprisingly discovered that single crystal
compositions formula (M, Bi)TiO.sub.3-- M'TiO.sub.3, where M is one
or more of Na, K, Rb and Cs, M' is one or more of Ca, Sr, Ba, Pb,
Y, La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Th, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu, and where
Ti may be substituted in whole or in part by Zr or Hf, Sn, Ge, Mg,
Zn, Al, Sc, Ga, Nb, Mo, Sb, Ta and W, possess very high
piezoelectric strain coefficients. For example, d.sub.33
coefficients of greater than 200 pC/N, and preferably greater than
300 pC/N, and more preferably greater than 450 pC/N, have been
measured in this family of materials provided in accordance with
the invention.
[0097] It further has been surprisingly discovered that single
crystal compositions formula (M, Bi)TiO.sub.3-- M'TiO.sub.3, where
M is one or more of Na, K, Rb and Cs, M' is one or more of Ca, Sr,
Ba, Pb, Y, La, Pr, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Th, Dy, Ho, Er, Tm, Yb and Lu,
and where Ti may be substituted in whole or in part by Zr or Hf,
Sn, Ge, Mg, Zn, Al, Sc, Ga, Nb, Mo, Sb, Ta and W, exhibit
exceedingly high piezoelectric actuation strains.
[0098] For example, strains of greater than 0.15%, and preferably
greater than 0.25%, more preferably greater than 0.50% and most
preferably greater than 0.75% have been observed in this family of
materials. In one example of a tetragonal phase (Na,Bi)TiO.sub.3
BaTi0.sub.3 material, an actuation strain of 0.85% was measured.
While these reported properties have been measured in single
crystals, it is expected that the related textured polycrystalline
materials will demonstrate similar improvements in piezoelectric
properties.
[0099] It also has been surprisingly discovered that compositional
ranges of solid solutions of
(Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2).sub.1-xM.sub.x(Ti.sub.1-yM'.- sub.y)O.sub.3
provide a range of interesting and useful electromechanical
properties. A- and B-site doping in polycrystalline samples
succeeded in isolating predominantly electrostrictive actuation.
The highest polycrystalline actuation strain, however, occurs for a
set of compositions that lie within a region showing mixed
actuation behavior. Predominantly electrostrictive strains >0.2%
were measured with minimal hysteresis at 0.05 Hz and
d.sub.33>700 pC/N at 25 kV/cm, surpassing the maximum reported
properties for conventional PMN and PLZT at 1 Hz. Single crystals
of the same composition, phase, and electrostrictive actuation
character show up to 0.45% strain and maximum d.sub.33.about.2000
pC/N at 35 kV/cm. Predominantly ferroelectric polycrystalline
compositions with d.sub.33.about.310 pC/N show actuation properties
comparable to commercial PZT-8 (d.sub.33.about.300 pC/N [34]).
[0100] According to the present invention, schematic phase
stability diagrams for solid solutions of
(M.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2)TiO.sub.3--M'TiO.sub- .3 are provided, where M
is one or more of Na or K; and M' is Ba, Ca, Sr, Ba or Pb; and M"
is Ti which exemplify the material of the invention. Schematic
phase stability diagrams for a variety of
M'TiO.sub.3--(K.sub.1/2,Bi.sub.1/2)TiO.sub.3--(Na.sub.1/2,,Bi.sub.1/2)TiO-
.sub.3 systems are shown in FIGS. 1-3. The Figures illustrate that
a variety of morphotropic phase boundaries (MPB's) can be accessed
in these solid solution systems.
[0101] Solid solutions of (Na, Bi)TiO.sub.3--(K,
Bi)TiO.sub.3--BaTiO.sub.3 (NBT-KBT-BT) and (Na, Bi)TiO.sub.3--(K,
Bi)TiO.sub.3--PbTiO.sub.3 (NBT-KBT-PT) are expected to exhibit
stable tetragonal and rhombohedral ferroelectric phase fields at
room temperature (see FIG. 1). KBT is a counterpart to NBT which is
a tetragonal ferroelectric at room temperature. The MPB between
these two compounds lies at approximately 81% NBT. The phase
diagram also suggests a morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) between
rhombohedral (ferroelectric) and tetragonal (ferroelectric) phases
at approximately 6 molar % and 13.5 molar % of BaTiO.sub.3 and
PbTiO.sub.3, respectively.
[0102] Thus, in one embodiment of the invention, an NBT-bKBT-cBT
solid solution is provided in which b is in the range of about
15-22%; and/or c is in the range of 3 to 12% and preferably in the
range of about 5-8%. The composition is adjusted within the stated
range to obtain either the tetragonal or rhombohedral symmetry
phase, as is desired.
[0103] In another embodiment of the invention, an NBT-bKBT-cPT
solid solution is provided in which b is in the range of about
15-22%; and/or c is in the range of 12 to 20% and preferably in the
range of about 12-15%. The composition is adjusted within the
stated range to obtain either the tetragonal or rhombohedral
symmetry phase, as is desired.
[0104] The (Na, Bi)TiO.sub.3-- (K, Bi)TiO.sub.3--CaTiO.sub.3
(NBT-KBT-CT) system shown in FIG. 2 differs from that for the
NBT-KBT-BaTiO.sub.3/PbTi- O.sub.3 system in that one endmember is
cubic (paraelectric). The ternary phase diagram suggests that a
three-phase morphotropic point joining the rhombohedral
(ferroelectric), tetragonal (ferroelectric) and cubic
(paraelectric) fields exists in this system. Compositions that are
in the rhombohedral field, but near the morphotropic point, are of
particular interest. Thus, in one embodiment of the invention, an
NBT-bKBT-cCT solid solution is provided in which b is in the range
of about 15-22%; and/or c is in the range of 12 to 20% and
preferably in the range of about 13-18%. The composition is
adjusted within the stated range to obtain either the tetragonal,
cubic or rhombohedral symmetry phase, as is desired.
[0105] In the (Na, Bi)TiO.sub.3-- (K, Bi)TiO.sub.3--SrTiO.sub.3
(NBT-KBT-ST) system, a rhombohedral (antiferroelectric) phase
exists at room temperature, leading to the phase diagram with four
phase fields shown in FIG. 3. This system therefore also provides a
rhombohedral (antiferroelectric) composition which can undergo a
AFE-FE transition. Thus, in one embodiment of the invention, an
NBT-bKBT-cST solid solution is provided in which b is in the range
of about 15-22%; and/or c is in the range of about 12 to 35%.
[0106] It is readily apparent that the level of alkaline earth
titanate and/or KBT in the solid solution may be varied to obtain
preferentially the rhombohedral or tetrahedral phase material.
Thus, solid solutions which are rich in KBT or NBT solid solutions
heavily doped with Ba are amongst those which will exhibit a stable
tetragonal ferroelectric phase at room temperature. Similarly,
solid solutions which are rich in NBT, at the expense of KBT and/or
BT or PT will demonstrate stable rhombohedral ferroelectric phases
having a low hysteresis of actuation.
[0107] Thus, the proportion of alkaline earth dopant, M', may be
selected with reference to the phase diagrams of FIGS. 1-3 to
obtain a composition with a desired symmetry phase at or near a
morphotropic phase boundary. In addition, one or more elements for
M may be used and their relative proportions also may be selected
to obtain a composition with a desired symmetry phase at or near a
morphotropic phase boundary or point. Further, those elements known
to substitute readily at the A- and B-sites of the perovskite
lattice may be incorporated, the B-site being that cation site that
is 6-fold coordinated by oxygen. In particular, aliovalent cations
demonstrated to introduce vacancies in the A-sites of the lattice
structure may be desired in some embodiments.
[0108] In those instances where the MPB or MPP is unknown, the
method discussed herein below for predicting the MPB for the system
may be used to identify suitable A-site and B-site dopants and
their appropriate dopant levels.
[0109] Further provided in accordance with the invention is a
recognition that for certain compositions in the family of
compositions provided by the invention, near the morphotropic phase
boundary, the actuation characteristics are of the character of a
field-forced phase change between an antiferroelectric (AFE) and
ferroelectric (FE) phase. This actuation mechanism is found to
yield significant strain. The existence of an antiferroelectric
phase near room temperature in this system is thus a particular
discovery provided by the invention. The family and subclass of
compositions as well as the prescribed actuation mechanisms and
actuation properties provided by the invention thereby enable a
range of actuation abilities and superior actuation
performance.
[0110] In accordance with the invention, there is provided a
further defined subclass of compositions in the family of
compositions, this subclass generally designated as single crystals
of tetragonal phase. This subclass is found to attain superior
actuation properties particularly when an electric field is applied
in the 001 direction of the corresponding cubic phase. While the
actuation can be hysteretic in nature, characteristic of a
domain-switching piezoelectric, the strains attained may be
particularly high. Numerous tetragonal phase NBT-BT and NBT-KBT-BT
crystals were shown to have free strains of 0.2-0.4% at 30-40
kV/cm. Piezoelectric strain coefficients d.sub.33 measured at lower
field in these crystals were in the range of 150-500 pC/N. FIG. 13
illustrates the results for an NBT-KBT-BT tetragonal phase crystal
exhibiting 0.4% strain.
[0111] In a particularly preferred embodiment, a tetragonal phase
composition with a decreased concentration of the alkali metal ions
relative to Bi is preferred. The alkali metal/Bi molar ratio is
less than one and more preferably less than about 0.94 and the
(alkali metal+alkaline earth metal+Bi)/Ti molar ratio is less than
one and more preferably less than about 0.9. The embodiment is
exemplified by a composition in the NBT-BT system with 5.82 molar %
BT that exhibited an exceptionally high strain of 0.85% at 38 kV/cm
as a tetragonal single crystal (FIG. 4). Testing at lower field,
this crystal exhibited d.sub.33=360 pC/N, showing, that the
majority of the actuation strain results from domain switching,
consistent with the hysteretic strain loop.
[0112] A useful figure of merit for electrochemical actuation is
the actuation energy density, given by
1/2.epsilon..sub.max.sup.2E.sub..rho., where .epsilon..sub.max is
the maximum strain, .rho. is the crystal density and E is Young's
Modulus. The present materials have a lower density than the PZTs
and PMNs (.about.6 g/cm.sup.3 vs. 7.5-8.5 g/cm.sup.3) and higher
elastic moduli (polycrystal Young's modulus of 100-110 Gpa vs.
60-70 Gpa in PZTs). The single crystal elastic modulus for NBT has
not been measured, but results for the high strain rhombohedral
PZN-PT crystals show a factor of 8 reduction in E in the (001)
direction. Assuming a similar reduction relative to the
polycrystalline modulus for both the tetragonal and rhombohedral
phases of NBT-BT, the high strain tetragonal single crystal of FIG.
4 possesses about 11 times the actuation energy of commercial PZT
5H (75 J/kg vs. 6.8 J/kg) and the near-MPB rhombohedral single
crystal of FIG. 21 is approximately 1.4 times the actuation energy
density of the polycrystalline PMN (6 J/kg vs. 4.2 J/kg),
demonstrating the utility of the invention.
[0113] Testing under load furthermore revealed that the present
crystals retain significant actuation capability to quite high
stresses. FIG. 5 shows the high-field d.sub.33 for rhombohedral and
tetragonal crystals vs. uniaxial compressive strength, measured
from the slope of the linear strain vs. field relationship at 20
kV/cm ac field with a 30 kV/cm de bias. The d.sub.33 decrease to
60% of their initial value by about 40 Mpa, but then remain
relatively constant to 100 Mpa. The decrease with stress is less
than that observed in polycrystalline PZTs. Combined with higher
hardness and 2-3 times higher mechanical strength in
polycrystalline NBTs compared to lead perovskites, this class of
single crystal piezoelectrics demonstrates improved mechanical
reliability as well as useful actuation properties.
[0114] Single crystal x-ray and electron diffraction data of the
NBT-BT show systematic reflections of an ordered perovskite cell.
Although not bound by any particular interpretation, the
diffraction experiments show that even substantially
nonstoichiometric compositions embodied by the invention have the
perovskite structure.
[0115] Still further provided in accordance with the invention, is
a further defined subclass generally designated as single crystals
fibers. These are exemplified by
Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2TiO.sub.3--BaTiO.sub.3 solid solutions with
between 5% and about 10% BaTiO.sub.3, or by
(Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2).sub.1-xBa.sub.x(Ti.sub.1-yZr.sub.y)O.sub.3
compositions in which x is between 0.01 and 0.2 and y is between
0.01 and 0.1. Single crystals fibers can be grown directly from the
melt by methods such as Czochralski growth or Edge-defined Film-fed
Growth (EFG) in these compositions because the crystal composition
melts congruently.
[0116] Low Hysteresis Tetragonal Phase Single Crystal or Oriented
Polycrystalline Actuators.
[0117] Prior art investigation into the piezoelectric properties of
various single crystal perovskite materials have focused on single
crystals with rhombohedral phase symmetry. Interest in the
rhombohedral phase persists because it has been demonstrated to
exhibit high actuation strain in the PMT-PT and PZN-PT systems.
However, only a limited number of perovskites crystallize in this
symmetry near room temperature. Many more perovskites of tetragonal
phase symmetry are known.
[0118] According to the present invention, a single crystal
tetragonal ferroelectric perovskite is used as a high strain
actuator having low hysteresis. The present invention has
recognized that both the phase symmetry and the direction of
actuation are relevant to the shape of the hysteresis curves. Prior
art single crystal piezoelectrics, such as PMN-PT, had demonstrated
low hysteresis only in the rhombohedral phase and it was not
expected that the tetragonal phase could also show low
hysteresis.
[0119] It was only in the present invention that it was recognized
that a tetragonal ferroelectric actuated out of its spontaneous
polarization direction (001 with respect to the tetragonal axes)
may have low hysteresis actuation. In particular, the 110 and 111
directions are understood to be low hysteresis directions. For
example, in the composition systems discussed above, solid
solutions which are rich in KBT or NBT solid solutions heavily
doped with Ba are amongst those which will exhibit a stable
tetragonal ferroelectric phase at room temperature.
[0120] High strain actuation of tetragonal crystals when actuated
out of its spontaneous polarization direction is not limited to the
compositions described hereinabove. Other tetragonal perovskites,
such as BaTiO.sub.3, PbTiO.sub.3 and solid solutions based on these
perovskites, can also show useful piezoelectric properties as an
oriented single crystal or textured polycrystal when actuated
according to the method of the invention.
[0121] Of course, with reference to the discussion above with
respect to high strain compositions, it is possible to obtain a
composition with both high strain and low hysteresis using the
compositions of the invention.
[0122] Co-Doped Systems Demonstrating Electromechanical
Properties.
[0123] Thus another aspect of the present invention is relaxor
compositions giving exceptionally high electromechanical actuation
of the electrostrictive type, or a mixture of electrostrictive and
piezoelectric actuation, or a mixture of electrostrictive and
field-forced phase change actuation, or any mixture of these types
of electromechanical actuation. The specific compositions tested
have been in the Ba+Zr codoped NBT group. However, the invention is
not limited to this group. For example, codoping with Ba+Hf, Pb+Zr,
or Pb+Hf yields similar benefits.
[0124] The compositions have been demonstrated to exhibit improved
electromechanical actuation in single crystals and polycrystalline
sintered samples. Thus the invention comprises both single crystals
(which may be oriented) and polycrystalline materials of the
specified compositions. The enhanced relaxor character allows new
applications such as high dielectric constant lead-free dielectrics
usable near room temperature, and polycrystalline and single
crystal electrostrictive actuators.
[0125] In the foregoing description, it was recognized that cation
nonstoichiometry improves electromechanical actuation in the
compositions of the invention. This cation nonstoichiometry can
also take on the form of multivalent Bi.sup.3+/Bi.sup.5+. If
Bi.sup.5+ is present, it predominantly occupies the B-sites of the
perovskite structure. Therefore, Bi is included as a constituent M"
in the compositions previously specified.
[0126] Selection of Appropriate A-Site and B-Site Dopants.
[0127] The foregoing description reported on the optimization of
electromechanical actuation and transduction properties at
compositions near the MPB of various perovskite solid solutions.
Various A-site and B-site dopants are reported to provide
compositions with improved properties, for example, large
piezoelectric strain coefficients and large strains. The ability to
predict the MPB for doped compounds is aided by detailed phase
diagrams, however, these are not always available.
[0128] A system is provided for identifying MPB compositions for
various A- and B-site dopings within a known system. The invention
provides a simple method of forecasting which cation substitutions
in perovskite ferroelectrics will provide phases of desired
symmetries. At the MPB between multiple such phases, at least one
of which is ferroelectric, enhanced actuation is often found. For
low level A- and B-site substitutions, the invention identifies the
approximate composition range within which the piezoelectric
properties will be optimized if the location of the MPB is known
for low-level dopings of other cations in the prototype
composition.
[0129] In one aspect of the invention, a stoichiometric perovksite
composition is provided corresponding to the morphotropic phase
boundary (MPB) composition as calculated using the relative
tolerance factor concept using a self-consistent set of ionic
radii. In the case of a cation or anion deficiency being present
due to charge compensation, the radius of an A-site vacancy is
taken to be equal to that of the largest A-site cation present, the
radius of the B-site vacancy is taken to be equal to that of the
largest B-site cation present, and the radius of the oxygen vacancy
is taken to be equal to that of O(2-).
[0130] In a preferred embodiment of the invention, in cation-doped
compositions containing predominantly NBT, 0.975<t<0.978
identifies the location of the MPB.
[0131] The concentration of each element may vary by .+-.5%, or
.+-.10%, or .+-.15%, or +20%, or .+-.25% or up to .+-.30%, of its
absolute value as determined by the relative tolerance factor-range
of the MPB.
[0132] As noted above, the ideal cubic peroskite structure
(ABO.sub.3) is composed of atoms in the following positions: A-site
cation at 0 0 0; B-site cation at 1/2 1/2 1/2; oxygen (anion) in
1/2 {fraction (1/2 )} 0, 1/2 0 1/2, 0 1/2 1/2. the A and B cations
have coordination numbers (CNs) of 12 and 6, respectively.
Goldschmidt (Akad. Oslo I. Mat.-natur. 2:7 (1926)) gives a
relationship that defines the allowable limits of distortions in
interatomic distance if the perovskite structure is to be
maintained. This relationship 1 t = ( R A + R O ) 2 ( R B + R O
)
[0133] is known as the tolerance factor, t, and is defined as:
[0134] where R.sub.A=average A-site cation radius, R.sub.B=average
B-site cation radius, and R.sub.O=average O-site cation radius.
Deviations from t=1 represent distortions from the ideal cubic
perovskite structure. The stability range is approximately
0.75<t<1.06, with ferroelectric behavior generally associated
with t>1. The tolerance factor can be a useful guide to the
structure of ABO.sub.3 perovskites.
[0135] The Goldschmidt tolerance factor has its limitations,
however. The tolerance factor is a simplified model, assuming
purely ionic bonds and rigid-sphere ions. Even in ideal perovskite
structures, however, the cations and anions show some degree of
overlap or covalency. According to Fukunaga and Fujita, J. Solid
State Chem. 8:331 (1973), overlap constitutes approximately 2-3% of
the ionic radius sum. There is also some error associated with the
reported ionic radii due to the fact that effective ionic radius is
not constant between all crystals. The data set is also incomplete
for certain ions. For example, the CN 12 radius of Bi.sup.3+ is not
available, although an estimate based on CN 8 data can be used.
There is an added complication when this simplified model is
applied to the more complicated system of solid solutions. Thus,
the relationship breaks down at a certain point for comparisons
between systems with high doping levels, e.g., >50%, such that
the A- and B-site cations are no longer the majority
components.
[0136] While absolute value of the tolerance factor in more
complicated systems may not be a useful indicator for the stability
of any arbitrary composition, the relative tolerance factor between
different solid solutions within a base system is a valuable guide
to its structure. The error entering a tolerance factor calculation
through approximated ionic radii is systematic and therefore has a
negligible effect on the relative tolerance factor (as long as
doping concentrations remain low, i.e., less than 50% doping, and
preferably less than 25%). According to the invention, the t of a
known MPB composition can be correlated with the tolerance factors
for different cation dopant levels within the same base system. The
calculated relative t of the doped systems provide an indication of
the MPB composition range in the doped solid solutions.
[0137] The relative t factors for MPB compositions in various solid
solutions of the NBT-based system lie within a narrow range. As
shown in FIG. 31, the MPB represents a field of two-phase
coexistence, with the rhombohedral phase to its left and the
tetragonal phase to its right. Arrows indicate the range of the MPB
composition. Additions of a large B-cation relative to the A-cation
stabilizes the rhombohedral phase (t decreases). Where the A-cation
is made larger with respect to the B-cation, the tetragonal phase
is stabilized (t increases).
[0138] Thus the method provides for identification of compositions
near the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) between two phases of
different crystal symmetry in doped perovskite systems, e.g.,
Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.12TiO.sub.3 (NBT). The composition is determined
using the relative tolerance factor, as defined herein, and
self-consistent sets of ionic radii. The identity and
concentrations of these dopants are selected so as to obtain a
relative tolerance factor "t" that is within a specified range. The
tolerance factor is dependent on the values of ionic radii used;
tabulated values such as those by Shannon (Acta Cryst. A32:751
(1976)) are used here and calculated for a selected relative size
and concentration of the dopants on the 12-fold coordinated "A"site
and 6-fold coordinated "B"site of the perovskite structure.
[0139] According to one aspect of the invention, the following
method is provided: choose new cation-dopants for a known
base-system; calculate the values for t for a range of dopant
fractions; and then compare the new t values to the characteristic
MPB tolerance factors-range for the system. For example, in
compositions containing predominantly NBT, 0.975<t<0.978
identifies the location of the MPB (FIG. 31). As a test of this
method, NBT doped with Ba on the A-site and Zr on the B-site have
been grown in single crystal form and as sintered polycrystalline
samples. X-ray diffraction of a wide range of Ba+Zr codoped
compositions has shown that the method successfully predicts the
MPB. The MPB between two ferroelectric phases is known to often
have superior electromechanical properties compared to those away
from the MPB. Thus one aspect of the present invention is the
ability to predict useful compositions using the relative tolerance
factor approach.
[0140] The following table lists the cations that are likely to be
useful as A-site and B-site dopants along with ionic radius
(Shannon (1976)) and polarizability data (Shannon, J. Appl. Phys.
73:348 (1993)), where available.
1 TABLE Ionic Radius (CN12) Ion Polarizability A-Site Cations
(10.sup.-10 m) (.ANG..sup.3) Bi(+3) 1.31 6.12 La(+3) 1.36 6.07
Na(+1) 1.39 1.8 Eu(+2) 1.40 4.83 Sr(+2) 1.44 4.24 Pb(+2) 1.49 6.58
Ba(+2) 1.61 6.4 K(+1) 1.64 3.83 Rb(+1) 1.72 5.29 Cs(+1) 1.88 7.43
Ionic Radius (CN6) Ion Polarizability B-Site Cations (10.sup.-10 m)
(.ANG..sup.3) Mn(+3) 0.58 n.a. Ti(+4) 0.605 2.93 Nb(+5) 0.64 3.97
Ta(+5) 0.64 4.73 Sn(+4) 0.69 2.83 Hf(+4) 0.71 n.a. Zr(+4) 0.72 3.25
Zn(+2) 0.74 2.04 Sc(+3) 0.745 2.81 Ce(+4) 0.87 3.94 Bi(+5) 0.76
n.a. Ionic Radius (CN6) Ion Polarizability Anion (10.sup.-10 m)
(.ANG..sup.3) O(2-) 1.40 2.01
[0141] However, it is not necessary for compositions to fall
precisely at the MPB to obtain superior materials performance. It
has also been recognized that by doping the A- and B-sites
simultaneously with cations larger in size and higher in ion
polarizability than those present in the undoped base-system, the
Curie temperature of the perovskite is lowered. This stabilizes the
higher temperature relaxor or nanopolar phase to room temperature.
For example, in the NBT system (in which the effective A-site
radius is the average of that of Na.sup.1+ and Bi.sup.3+) the Ba+Zr
doped composition exhibits strong nanopolar phases (FIG. 33). In
this relaxor material, which can be of rhombohedral or tetragonal
macrosymmetry, electromechanical actuation via the mechanism known
as electrostriction is particularly strong. In both the single
crystals and polycrystals of Ba+Zr codoped NBT, improvements in
electromechanical actuation compared to previously known materials
have been found. The compositions studied have the dielectric
properties of a relaxor ferroelectric near room temperature, and
the electromechanical actuation characteristics of an
electrostrictive material near room temperature. The above
observation is consistent with the preliminary correlations
observed between tolerance factors and ion polarizability in that
larger ions are typically of higher atomic number and therefore
also of higher ion polarizability.
[0142] Solid solutions
(Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2).sub.1-xBa.sub.x(Ti.sub.1-yZr- .sub.y)O.sub.3
have been prepared in which x and y were systematically varied and
shown to behave in a manner consistent with the approach described
herein. An increase in y allows a simultaneous increase in x, that
is, the Ba doping can be higher, while retaining a constant
tolerance factor. This approach allows us to obtain more highly
doped NBTs than is possible in the simple solid solution approaches
that others have tried. By doping more highly in Ba on the A-site
without changing the tolerance factor enough to greatly stabilize
the tetragonal phase (i.e., causing a larger change in c/a ratio),
we are able to produce higher doping and more disorder on the
A-site resulting in enhanced relaxor character compared to previous
doping schemes.
[0143] Method of Preparing Actuator Devices.
[0144] An aspect of this invention is based upon the discovery that
crystals in the NBT-BT system tend to grow as small cubes, much
like table salt (NaCl). These cubes have {100} faces. The cube
shape appears to be the Wulff shape of the crystal, i.e., the shape
which is preferred in order to minimize the surface energy of the
crystal. According to the invention, a crystallographically
oriented (textured) array which takes advantage of the inherent
crystalline anisotropy in properties such as dielectric constant
and piezoelectric strain is made by utilizing the growth morphology
of single crystals. The methods take advantage of the fact that
certain perovskite piezoelectrics, can be grown as faceted crystals
which expose certain crystal planes (the Wulff shape of the
crystal).
[0145] One example is the aforementioned NBT and KBT solid
solutions, which can be grown as cube-shaped crystals much like
rock salt. Thus, each flat surface is an {001} orientation of the
high temperature cubic phase. Another example occurs with an
octahedral shaped crystal in a cubic system, in which each face is
a {111} plane. Alignment of the preferentially exposed planes of a
number of crystallites against a surface of edge results in the
achievement of a common crystallographic orientation in all the
crystallites.
[0146] The invention consists of the steps of (1) growing crystals
or crystallites under conditions which allow them to express a
faceted morphology; and (2) aligning a set of facets and/or edges
which is common to all of the crystals or crystallites against a
surface or edge, thereby resulting in a crystallographically
textured array of crystals.
[0147] The invention also provides electromechanical actuators
which take advantage of the anisotropic piezoelectric strain,
strain coefficient d.sub.33, and/or electromechanical coupling
factor k.sub.33 of the single crystal. It can also be used to
obtain high dielectric permittivity in systems where the dielectric
properties are highly anisotropic or to take advantage of other
highly directional crystal properties such as magnetic or optical
properties.
[0148] For the specific application of electromechanical actuators,
it is advantageous to have the high specific actuation properties
of a single crystal piezoelectric actuator in a robust and easily
manufactured actuator design. According to the present invention,
this is done by using smaller, more easily grown crystallites and
orienting these crystallites so that they share a common crystal
direction (uniaxial texture) or more than one crystal direction
(e.g., biaxial texture). For the purposes of this application,
"texture" is defined as that condition where in an X-ray pole
figure or rocking curve, the full-width-at-half-maximum for the
reflection corresponding to the pole or crystal axis in question
has an angular breadth of less than 20.degree.. The texturing of
the crystallite assembly allows the single crystal actuation
properties to be used without the need to grow, orient and cut
large single crystals. This texturing approach may be used with any
piezoelectric actuator composition which can be grown or otherwise
prepared as faceted crystallites. The reduction in the size of the
crystals necessary to fabricate an actuator not only makes
processing easier, it also improves the mechanical robustness of
the actuator. It is well-known from the theory of brittle fracture
(Griffith theory) that the probability of finding a flaw of a
certain size within a body increases with its volume. Furthermore,
by using an array of crystallites, the fracture of one crystallite
does not cause failure of the entire actuator, unlike what can
happen with single crystals. Therefore, reducing the size of the
crystallites according to the present invention mitigates against
catastrophic failure of the actuator.
[0149] An actuator composed of many crystallites can have nearly
the same piezoelectric constants as a single crystal actuator. Such
an array of oriented crystallites can also be combined with a
polymer matrix or ceramic or metal reinforcements to improve the
overall actuation or dielectric constant or mechanical
properties.
[0150] One embodiment of the present invention uses perovskite
crystals which a cubic shape such that each face is a {100} plane
of the corresponding cubic phase. Using a perovskite of
rhombohedral crystal symmetry at the actuation temperature, the
assembly of crystals is actuated in the 100 direction of the
corresponding cubic phase by aligning the crystals so that at least
one {100} face of each crystal is co-planar with the others.
[0151] In another embodiment, a crystal which is cubic at the
growth temperature and tetragonal at the use temperature grows with
a cube morphology and is aligned in the same way. In this instance,
the assemblage of crystals behaves as a domain switching
ferroelectric, since a strong electric field applied normal to the
common {100} plane (alignment plane) poles each crystal by domain
reorientation. When the field direction is switched, the
ferroelectric polarization of the crystal is switched through
domain wall motion. This actuator has increased actuation
performance relative to a polycrystalline compact of the same
composition and phase in which the gains have a random
crystallographic orientation with respect to one another.
[0152] In yet another embodiment, the crystal symmetry at the
actuation temperature is tetragonal and the crystal is grown with
an octahedral crystal morphology, exposing the {111} planes of the
corresponding cubic phase. Alignment of the common {111} faces of
the crystals allows actuation out of the spontaneous polarization
direction {100}. We note that in previously reported PMN-PT and
PZN-PT single crystal actuators, the crystal shapes do not lend
themselves to the methods of this invention. PZN-PT and PMN-PT
crystals grew in a complex, non-symmetric "arrowhead" shape with a
variety of crystal faces appearing on any given crystallite,
thereby teaching away from the present invention. Nonetheless, by
controlling the crystal growth, shape and rate, we have succeeded
in achieving textured polycrystals in these systems as well, as is
demonstrated in Example 9.
[0153] According to the invention, either cubic or octahedral Wulff
shapes are grown from a perovskite compound at high temperature by
controlling the composition, flux composition, temperature and
cooling rate. The crystal morphology can be determined by the
equilibrium interfacial energies, with a cubic morphology growing
when the {100} faces have the lowest energy. The crystal shape can
also be determined by the rate of growth of particular crystal
planes (growth rate anisotropy) in addition to surface energy
anisotropy.
[0154] Additional embodiments of the present invention represent
different methods by which large numbers of faceted crystals can be
grown, harvested and oriented into a textured array.
[0155] In one embodiment, the crystallites are nucleated randomly
in a flux which may be constituents of the crystal composition
(self flux) or which includes another component which is not
substantially incorporated into the crystal during growth (solvent
flux). By adjusting the composition, amount of flux and growth
conditions (temperature, cooling rate), crystallites are grown such
that they do not substantially impinge upon one another. Unimpeded
growth is important to the formation of free single crystals of
similar morphology. The flux in which the crystals are embedded is
subsequently to be removed by chemical etching, leaving behind the
crystallites. Alternatively, the crystallites are removed from the
flux while it is liquid, using for example a mesh. The crystals are
then classified according to size and assembled into an actuator
structure by orientation processes described later.
[0156] In another method of the invention, previously grown
crystals are crushed and sized to achieve a common starting
crystallite size. These serve as seeds for further crystal growth.
The seed crystals are immersed in a flux as described above in
which they coarsen until they are of a desirable size. They are
then removed from the flux by chemical etching or sieving the fluid
flux.
[0157] Alternatively, the crystals may be obtained by vapor phase
growth of the crystals on a surface. It has further been observed
that the perovskite NBT crystals tend to cleave along their {100}
planes. This tendency may be used to produce orientable
crystallites by fracturing larger crystals to expose the {100}
faces of the high temperature, cubic polymorph material.
Comminution of crystals, whether they are initially faceted or not,
results in small crystals with predominantly {100} fracture
surfaces. These surfaces are then aligned by one of the processes
described herein to obtain a textured array.
[0158] A method of orienting the crystallites, into a textured
array is described with reference to FIG. 6. The crystallites are
sized so that the majority of the crystals are at least as large in
diameter as the desired final thickness of the actuator. The
crystallites are then settled onto a flat surface, for instance by
shaking a collection of dry crystals, or by using the capillary
action of a liquid that wets the surface of the crystals and the
orientation surface and draws the two together. This liquid is then
removed by evaporation. The flat surface can be a working surface
for processing alone, or can serve as an electrode of the final
composite actuator. The oriented crystallite array is then further
processed to obtain an actuator. In one embodiment, it is sintered
at high temperature to bond the crystals together, with or without
a sintering liquid phase. In another embodiment, it is infiltrated
with a polymer such as epoxy. After the crystallites are bonded to
one another, the electroding surface is ground down to expose the
majority of the crystallites, as indicated by the arrow in FIG. 6.
A top electrode is applied to the ground surface. This process
results in a uniaxial alignment of the crystallites with a common
orientation normal to the orientation surface.
[0159] Biaxial alignment is desirable in many instances. Biaxial
alignment is defined by having the crystallites oriented with such
close alignment not only normal to the plane of the surface, but
also within the surface. With reference to FIG. 7, such alignment
can be obtained by settling the crystallites against a reference
edge as well as a surface e.g., shaking on an incline, or by using
capillary forces from a liquid that wets the crystallites to draw
them together. Supplying a capillary force between adjacent
crystallites, for instance with a wetting liquid, assists in
achieving biaxial texture by drawing the faceted faces of adjacent
crystallites into contact. The assembly of biaxially aligned
crystals is then further processed to obtain an actuator as
described above.
[0160] The crystallites may be aligned while in the growth flux
medium, e.g., an in situ alignment. During growth of the
crystallites as described hereinabove, the crystallites may be
allowed to either float up (low density) or sink down (high
density) by choosing a flux that is either denser than or less
dense than the crystals. A flat surface, which can be the flat
surface of the flux liquid itself or the surface between the growth
container and the flux, or a separate solid material, is placed
either at the top or bottom of the melt to serve as the orientation
surface. The crystals travel by gravitational force or buoyancy or
convection through the flux and settle in an oriented array against
the orientation surface after which they can be removed. The
orientation surface, if it is a metal suitable for use as an
electrode, can be left in place as the electrode of the final
actuator assembly.
[0161] In yet another alternative embodiment, a high electric field
may be used to orient the crystals. The method of the invention is
adaptable to the prior art systems for PZN-PT and PMN-PT. As is
demonstrated in the examples which follow, the crystal growth
method described herein may be used to obtain textured
crystallites.
[0162] The invention is illustrated in the following examples,
which are non-limiting of the scope of the invention, the full
scope of which is set out in the claims which follow.
EXAMPLE 1
Single Crystal Growth in the System
Na.sub.(1/2)Bi.sub.(1/2)TiO.sub.3--BaT- iO.sub.3.
[0163] A powder mixture of the target composition
(0.94)Na.sub.(1/2)Bi.sub- .(1/2)TiO.sub.3-(0.06)BaTiO.sub.3 was
prepared, with wt % each of Na.sub.2CO.sub.3 and Bi.sub.2O.sub.3
being added in excess in order to form a liquid flux. The powder
mixture was prepared from the following starting materials in the
following amount
2 Compound Manufacturer Amount (g) Comment Bi.sub.2O.sub.3 Morton
Thiokol 102.3408 20 wt % excess of the component Na.sub.2CO.sub.3
MCB Reaoents 23.2764 20 wt % excess of the component TiO.sub.3
NanoTek 58.4750 BaTiO.sub.3 Morton Thiokol 10.8980
[0164] The powders were ball-milled in a 1000 mL polypropylene
bottle containing 50% by volume of zirconia milling media and
.about.350 mL ethanol for .about.12 hours at a rolling speed of 120
rpm. The mixed powder was dried with a heating lamp, then ground in
a mortar and pestle, then placed in an alumina crucible (100 mL)
with a cover and calcined in air according to the following heating
schedule: 8 hour ramp from room temperature to 800.degree. C., hold
for 2 hours, furnace-cool to 20.degree. C. with power off. A
Thermolyne 47900 furnace was used. The powder was removed from the
crucible and ground in a mortar and pestle, then placed in a 100 mL
platinum crucible, covered with a platinum lid and then placed
within a 250 mL alumina crucible and covered with an alumina lid.
The sample was placed in a Lindberg/Blue M 1700.degree. furnace and
fired according to the following crystal growth schedule: 13.5 hour
ramp from room temperature to 1350.degree. C., hold for 5 hours,
120 hour cool to 750.degree. C., furnace cool to 25.degree. C.
[0165] Within-the Pt crucible, more than 50 single crystals varying
in size from 1 mm to >10 mm were observed, embedded in
crystallized orange-yellow flux. The flux was dissolved by filling
the crucible with concentrated hydrochloric acid and allowing the
mixture to sit overnight. The acid was then rinsed from the
crystals with water. It was subsequently found that nitric acid
works to dissolve the flux as well. The crystals were removed from
the crystals, separated, and placed again in concentrated
hydrochloric acid to remove the residual flux.
[0166] On the platinum lid of the crucible, several crystals
growing with a cubic shape were observed, showing that faceted
crystals of this compound can be grown by vapor phase transport to
a seeding surface, as described above.
[0167] The crystals embedded within the crystallized flux were
observed to grow with a cubic habit. Larger crystals of 6-10 mm
diameter and exhibiting a clear {100} or cube face were sliced
parallel to that face using a diamond wafering saw. Both sides of
the resulting single crystal plates were polished with successively
finer diamond paste to a thickness of .about.1 mm thickness and a
final grit site of 1 .mu.m.
[0168] For testing, colloidal silver paint electrodes were applied
with a brush to both of the faces of cut and polished crystals.
Dielectric constant measurements were performed on an HP 4194A
impedance analyzer at 1 kHz and 10 kHz frequencies.
[0169] Piezoelectric strain and piezoelectric strain coefficient
(d.sub.33) were measured using a laser interferometer apparatus
while applying high voltage to the sample (up to 20 kV) at a low
frequency (1 Hz).
[0170] Results for Rhombohedral BaTiO.sub.3 doped NBT. Sample 1 was
a crystal polished to a thickness of 1.098 mm. The composition was
analyzed by electron microprobe microanalysis (EMPA), giving the
following results:
3 Na Bi Ti Ba 0 Nominal Composition 0.470 0.470 1.000 0.060 3.000
Sample 1 0.459 0.486 1.042 0.032 2.981
[0171] Thus the sample contains a lower Ba concentration than the
overall batch composition. This places the composition clearly
within the rhombohedral stability field. X-ray diffraction of the
(100) face of the crystal showed that it was single crystalline,
and also showed no splitting of the (100) and (200) peaks of the
corresponding cubic phase. This shows that the sample is not so
highly doped with Ba as to be of tetragonal symmetry.
[0172] The capacitance, measured at 1 kHz, was 197.8 pF. The sample
was placed in the strain testing apparatus (clamped in the
longitudinal direction and immersed in silicone oil bath to prevent
arcing). The sample was first tested before poling. FIG. 8 shows
the strain vs. the applied voltage measured at room
temperature.
[0173] The sample was then poled while in the testing apparatus for
10 minutes under a 3.6 kV direct current voltage. FIG. 9 shows the
strain vs. applied voltage measured at room temperature after
poling. A higher strain at equal voltage was achieved, with a
maximum strain of 1500 microstrain (0.15%) being achieved at 16 kV.
The strain had not yet saturated at this voltage.
[0174] From the nearly-linear slope in FIG. 9, the piezoelectric
strain coefficient d.sub.33, is obtained. Since the applied voltage
is the peak-to-peak value, the positive voltage is half of the
applied voltage. For example, 500 microstrain is achieved for a
change of 2.5 kV. The d.sub.33 value is therefore approximately 200
pC/N. FIG. 10 shows the complete strain vs. applied field loop for
this sample. It is seen that the sample has small hysteresis
compared to conventional ferroelectric actuators. Thus this
rhombohedral phase single crystal is shown to function as a
piezoelectric actuator with low hysteresis.
[0175] EPMA analysis of two other crystals from the same growth run
showed Ba concentrations of 0.27 and 0.31 respectively, which also
place them within the rhombohedral phase field.
[0176] Results on Tetragonal Phase BaTiO.sub.3-doped NBT Sample 2
was another single crystal from the same growth run, which EPMA
showed to have a higher Ba concentration than the overall batch
composition. A line scan, in which the probe was stepped across the
sample surface, was also conducted using EPMA to examine for
nonuniformity in Ba doping level. The average concentrations of the
line scanned points is given below; the crystal was found to be
uniform. The compositional analysis of the crystal is given
below:
4 Na Bi Ti Ba 0 Nominal Composition 0.470 0.470 1.000 0.060 3.000
Sample 2 0.4- 0.451 1.079 0.096 2.915 Sample 2 line Scan 0.462
0.446 1.057 0.095 2.939
[0177] This sample has a high enough BaTiO.sub.3 content to be well
within the tetragonal phase field. The crystal was polished to a
thickness of 1.165 mm. Before poling, this crystal was tested at
room temperature to a maximum field of 6.44 kV/mm (7.5 kV voltage),
and exhibited a strain of 2150 microstrain (0.215%), as shown in
FIG. 11. After poling in the actuation direction with a field of
3.3 kV for 10 min. at room temperature, the crystal was tested
again at room temperature. It exhibited 0.20% strain at 7.73 kV/mm,
as shown in FIG. 12.
[0178] From the data in FIG. 12, d.sub.33=428 pC/N for Sample 2
after poling. The slight reduction in strain after poling is
consistent with a tetragonal ferroelectric in which poling induces
some preferential ferroelectric domain orientation in the direction
of the applied field.
EXAMPLE 2
Single Crystal Growth in the System
Na.sub.(.sub.1/2)Bi.sub.(.sub.1/2)TiO.-
sub.3--K.sub.(1/2)TiO.sub.3--BaTiO.sub.3.
[0179] The nominal crystal composition of this batch was
(0.782)Na.sub.(1/2)Bi.sub.(1/2)TiO.sub.3-(0.138)K.sub.(1/2)Bi.sub.(1/2)Ti-
O.sub.3-(0.08)BaTiO.sub.3. A greater amount of excess
Bi.sub.2O.sub.3 and Na.sub.2CO.sub.3 was added in this growth run
than in Example 1. The amounts of each component are given in the
table below:
5 Compound Manufacturer Amount (g) Comments Bi.sub.2O.sub.3 Alfa
Aesar 73.7132 includes 20 wt % of total Na.sub.2CO.sub.3 Alfa Aesar
31.2103 includes 20 wt % of total TiO.sub.2 Nanotek 39.2722
K.sub.2CO.sub.3 Alfa Aesar 2.3442 BaCO.sub.3 Alfa Aesar 0.6209
[0180] The processing conditions were similar to those used for
Example 1. A Thermolyne Hi-temp, model 46100 furnace was used. The
crystal growth schedule was as follows: 13.5 hour ramp from room
temperature to 1350.degree. C., hold for 5 hours, cool slowly at a
rate of 5.degree. C./min to 800.degree. C., then furnace-cool to
room temperature. The growth run yielded smaller crystals of cubic
habit and approximately 1 mm dimension in a larger amount of
crystallized flux. After removing, the crystals from the flux using
hydrochloric acid, EPMA analysis was conducted. The K concentration
was lower than that of the overall batch composition by
approximately a factor of 10. The Ba concentration was slightly
higher than the overall composition. This places the composition
well within the tetragonal phase field, as shown in FIG. 1. X-ray
diffraction of the crystals showed splitting of the (100) and (200)
reflections of the corresponding cubic phase, consistent with the
existence of the tetragonal phase. Optical microscopy showed the
existence of multiple ferroelectric domains, predominantly oriented
at 90.degree. with respect to one another.
[0181] Several of the crystals were strain tested at room
temperature after poling. FIGS. 13 and 14 show the strain vs. field
loops for Samples 3 and 5 respectively, in which the maximum strain
levels reached are 0.4% and 0.2% strain respectively. Each sample
shows a larger hysteresis than FIG. 10, which is to be expected
from a tetragonal ferroelectric undergoing domain switching.
[0182] The results from this growth run show that single crystals
of cubic morphology can be grown by a flux method in the system
Na.sub.(1/2)Bi.sub.(1/2)TiO.sub.3--K.sub.(1/2)Bi.sub.(1/2)TiO.sub.3--BaTi-
O.sub.3. These crystals can be of a composition which falls in the
tetragonal phase field. Together with the tetragonal phase NBT-BT
crystals from Example 1, it is shown that tetragonal ferroelectric
phase single crystals of the compositions defined by the invention
exhibit high piezoelectric strain when oriented in (100).
EXAMPLE 3
Textured Crystallites by Cleavage and Capillary Aggregation.
[0183] Several of the Ba-doped NBT crystals of Example 1 were
ground coarsely using a mortar and pestle. The resulting powder was
mixed with the liquid binder collodion, and spread on a glass
slide. The slide was heated for about 10 minutes in a small box
furnace to set the glue. During drying, the powder tends to settle
against the glass surface, and the capillary action of the liquid
also helps to draw the particles together and against the glass
surface. After drying, the powder was subjected to powder x-ray
diffraction. The x-ray diffraction pattern, FIG. 15, shows stronger
intensity for the (202) reflection of the rhombohedral phase ((200)
of the corresponding cubic phase) than does a randomly oriented
powder. In the powder diffraction pattern for NBT, JCPDS, file
36-0340, the (110) of the rhombohedral phase is expected to have
the highest intensity. In our sample, the (202) has the highest
intensity, showing that preferential alignment of the cube faces
parallel to the glass surface has been achieved. This result shows
that comminution of large crystals followed by an alignment against
a surface yields a preferential texture in the array of
crystallites.
EXAMPLE 4
Composite Actuators from Multiple Single Crystallites.
[0184] A growth run producing many small crystals in the
composition system
(0.90)Na.sub.(1/2)Bi.sub.(1/2)TiO.sub.3-(0.10)BaTiO.sub.3 was
conducted according to the procedure in Example 2. The starting
materials and amounts are given in the following table:
6 Compound Manufacturer Amount (g) Comments Bi.sub.2O.sub.3 Alfa
Aesar 70.3282 includes 20 wt % of total Na.sub.2CO.sub.3 Alfa Aesar
32.4805 includes 20 wt % of total TiO.sub.2 NanoTek 37.3268
BaCO.sub.3 Alfa Aesar 9.2216
[0185] Small crystals (<1 mm.sup.3) of cubic habit and of
near-MPB composition, removed from the as-grown batch by
hydrochloric acid dissolution were used to fabricate a
multi-crystal actuator. A 1 cm.sup.2 area was cut out of 1.5 mm
thick piece of Teflon for the mold. High-temperature double-sided
tape was used for contacting the mold to a piece of metal (support)
as well as to hold the crystals in place. The cube faces of the
crystals were aligned flat against the supporting surface of the
mold, packed together in as high a density as possible. Shell Epon
9405 (a two-part epoxy) was chosen for the matrix. 2.0 g of each
part were mixed together. The epoxy was poured on top of the
crystals. The mold was placed in a furnace at .about.350.degree. C.
for 3.0 hours to cure the epoxy. The resulting composite actuator
is shown in FIG. 16.
[0186] This result shows that crystals of cubic morphology can be
grown in the composition system
(0.90)Na.sub.(1/2)Bi.sub.(1/2)TiO.sub.3-(0.10)BaTi- O.sub.3. It
also shows that a oriented multi-crystal actuator can be fabricated
by assembling a large number of individual crystals grown in a
faceted morphology against a common surface. The resulting
composite actuator is 1-3 composite (one-dimensional connectivity
for the crystals and a connectivity in three dimensions for the
epoxy matrix).
EXAMPLE 5
Growth of a Textured Polycrystalline Piezoelectric Material.
[0187] Growth of a composition
(0.85)Na.sub.(1/2)Bi.sub.(1/2)TiO.sub.3-(0.-
15)K.sub.(1/2)Bi.sub.(1/2)TiO.sub.3 was conducted according to the
method described in Example 1. The components used and the amounts
given in the following table:
7 Compound Manufacturer Amount (g) Comments Bi.sub.2O.sub.3 Alfa
Aesar 65.6060 includes 20 wt % of component Na.sub.2CO.sub.3 Alfa
Aesar 12.6845 includes 20 wt % of component TiO.sub.3 Fluka 37.4891
K.sub.2CO.sub.3 Alfa Aesar 2.4324
[0188] Crystal growth was conducted as described for Example 1. The
furnace schedule was as follows: 13.5 hour Tamp from room
temperature to 1350.degree. C., hold for 5 hours, cool slowly at a
rate of 5.degree. C./min to 800.degree. C., then furnace-cool to
room temperature.
[0189] The nominal composition is in the rhombohedral phase field
of the NBT-KBT system. After growth, a large flat area (about 6
square centimeters) of densely packed smaller crystals of uniform
size (1-2 mm diameter) were observed at the surface of the original
melt, as shown in FIG. 17. Underneath the layer of crystals were
numerous larger crystals of cubic growth habit. The surface layer
of crystals was removed and examined by X-ray diffraction. The
resulting diffraction pattern is shown in FIG. 18. The strongest
reflections observed are those for the (100) and (200) reflections
of the corresponding cubic phase. There is a striking absence of
almost all other reflections. This shows that the layer of small
crystallites is highly textured, with the {100} planes of the cubic
crystals all oriented parallel to the surface of the melt. A large
area (.about.1 inch diameter) of the layer of aligned crystals was
removed intact and infiltrated with epoxy to fabricate a composite
actuator.
[0190] The smaller crystals nucleated spontaneously and floated to
the top of the melt, and that the liquid surface served as the
alignment surface. The result shows that, firstly, single crystals
of cubic morphology can be grown in the
(0.85)Na.sub.(1/2)Bi.sub.(1/2)TiO.sub.3--(O.15)K.sub.(1/2-
)Bi.sub.(1/2)TiO.sub.3 system. Secondly, it is shown that alignment
against a surface during the growth of faceted crystals can be used
to achieve a crystallographically textured array of multiple
crystals. Thirdly, such a textured array can be fabricated into a
piezoelectric actuator composite, for instance by infiltration with
a polymer.
EXAMPLE 6
Single Crystal Growth in
Na.sub.(1/2)Bi.sub.(1/2)TiO.sub.3--BaTiO.sub.3.
[0191] A powder mixture of the target composition
(0.92)Na.sub.(1/2)Bi.sub- .(1/2)TiO.sub.3-(0.08)BaTiO.sub.3 was
prepared, with 20 wt % each of Na.sub.2CO.sub.3 and Bi.sub.2O.sub.3
being added in excess in order to form a liquid flux. The powder
mixture was prepared from the following starting materials in the
following amounts:
8 Total, including Compound Manufacturer Amount (g) flux addition
Bi.sub.2O.sub.3 Morton Thiokol 50.1804 60.2165 Na.sub.2CO.sub.3 MCB
Reagents 11.4144 13.6973 TiO.sub.2 NanoTek 37.4014 BaTiO.sub.3
Morton Thiokol 7.3925
[0192] The powders were ball-milled in a 500 mL polypropylene
bottle containing 50% by volume of zirconia milling media and
.about.80 mL ethanol for .about.17 hours at a rolling speed of 120
rpm. The mixed powder was dried with a heating lamp, then ground in
a mortar and pestle, then placed in an alumina crucible (100 mL)
with a cover and calcined in air according to the following heating
schedule: ramp rate of 100.degree. C./hr from room temperature to
800.degree. C., hold for 2 hours, ramp down to 20.degree. C. at
100.degree. C./hr. The powder was removed from the crucible and
ground in a mortar and pestle, then placed in a 100 mL platinum
crucible, covered with a platinum lid and then placed within a 250
mL alumina crucible and covered with an alumina lid. The sample was
placed in a Thermolyne 47900 furnace and fired according to the
following crystal growth schedule: ramp rate of 100.degree. C./hr
from room temperature to 1350.degree. C., hold for 5 hours, ramp
rate of 5.degree. C./hr to 800.degree. C., ramp rate of 50.degree.
C./hr to 25.degree. C.
[0193] This growth process resulted in a textured raft of small
(.about.1 mm) crystals on the surface of the growth material,
further demonstrating the method of Example 5. Beneath the textured
polycrystals were many larger single crystals. The crystals were
mechanically removed from the crucible and the residual solidified
flux was dissolved by immersing in hydrochloric acid for 2 days,
after which the crystals were removed and washed with water.
[0194] Numerous crystals were tested. The crystals were oriented
and polished with diamond abrasive paper of successively finer grit
size (30, 6 and 0.5 .mu.m) using a South Bay Technology tripod
polisher. Gold was sputtered on both faces of the polished crystal
plates as electrodes. Silver paint was applied over the gold layer.
The capacitance of each crystal was measured using an HP 4194-A
impedance analyzer, and the dielectric constant was determined from
the capacitance and crystal dimensions. Where desired, the crystals
were poled by immersing in an insulating oil bath at 100.degree. C.
and poled at twice the coercive field for 10 minutes.
[0195] A laser-interferometric strain measurement apparatus was
used to measure the piezoelectric strain at room temperature as a
function of electric field, at an ac frequency of 1 Hz.
[0196] Table 1 lists the compositions as determined by electron
microprobe microanalysis, and phases of some of the samples as
determined by XRD. The samples having designations with the prefix
BNT.sub.--08 are from the growth run described in this Example.
Those samples having designations with the prefix BNT10 were grown
in a similar manner except that the nominal Ba concentration was
increased to 10 mole % (i.e., the target composition is
0.90Na.sub.(1/2)Bi.sub.(1/2)TiO.sub.3-0.10BaTiO.sub.3). Those
having designations with prefixes XT are from Example 1. In Example
1, sample 1 corresponds to sample XTI and sample 2 corresponds to
XT22 of Table 1. NBT is from a similar growth but without BaTi03
doping. NKB is from Example 2. The composition of each crystal is
also given in Table 1, as determined by electron microprobe
microanalysis using rutile TiO.sub.2, albite NaAlSi.sub.3O.sub.8,
bismuth germanate Bi.sub.4Ge.sub.3O.sub.12, BaSO.sub.4, and
KAlSi.sub.3O.sub.8 standards. The relative accuracy of the
compositions given is better than 5% of the stated values.
9TABLE 1 Crystal Compositions and Phases mole mole mole mole mole
(Na + Ba + Bi)/ Crystal % Na % Bi % Ti % 0 % Ba Na/Bi Na + Bi + Ba
Ti XRD XTI 45.9 48.6 104.2 298.1 3.2 0.9444 0.977 0.9376 -- XT9 50
47.6 106.1 293.5 2.7 1.0504 1.003 0.9453 R XT16 49.1 46.8 105.2
295.8 3.1 1.0491 0.99 0.9411 -- XT20 48.93 39.86 102.25 298.86
10.11 1.2275 0.989 0.9672 -- XT21 53.09 45.06 100.42 298.51 3.21
1.1782 1.0136 1.0094 R XT22 45.9 45.1 107.9 291.5 9.6 1.0177 1.006
0.9323 T XT32 52.58 44.99 101.1 298.62 2.71 1.1687 1.0028 0.9919 R
XT37 51.6 44.26 102.05 299.19 2.89 1.1658 0.9875 0.9677 -- XT40
53.52 42.74 102.04 298.32 3.38 1.2522 0.9964 0.9765 R XT44 50.24
45.3 101.3 299.39 3.78 1.1090 0,9932 0.9805 -- NBT2 54.57 45.09
101.75 298.49 0 1.2105 0.9966 0.9795 R NKB1 36.5 34.95 96.815 305
26.2 1.0443 0.-9825 1,0148 T NKB7 37.1 34.9 94.15 309.4 23.95
1.0630 0.965 1.0250 T BNT_08 2 46.98 44.75 101.53 301.29 6.55
1.0498 0.9828 0.9680 -- BNT_08 3 46.71 45.47 101.12 300.22 6.47
1.0273 0.9865 0.9756 -- BNT_08 6 50.19 45.67 100.57 299.16 4.41
1.0990 1.0027 0.9970 -- BNT_08 7 29.94 45.79 109.66 308.78 5.82
0.6539 0.8155 0.7437 T BNT_08 9 48.85 44.62 101.86 299.83 4.83
1.0948 0.98 0.9621 R BNT_08 10 46.48 44.36 102.35 300 5.52 1.0478
0.9636 0.9415 R BNT_08 1 48.75 46.29 101.3 300.02 3.65 1.0531
0.9869 0.9742 -- BNT_08 21 47.49 43.06 101.23 300 9.18 1.1031
0.9973 0.9852 T BNT_10 2 46.96 43.65 102.2 300.26 6.92 1.0758
0.9753 0.9543 T BNT_10 3 46.3 44.75 102.3 300.74 5.91 1.0346 0.9696
0.9478 -- BNT_10 5 47.13 45.32 101.62 300.34 5.59 1.399 0.9804
0.9648 -- BNT_10 6 47.16 44.44 101.6 300.13 6.66 1.0612 0.9826
0.9671 T BNT_10 7 48.29 44.73 101.83 300 5.15 1.0796 0.9817 0.9641
-- BNT_10 A 44.79 44.85 103.04 301.56 5.76 0.9987 0.954 0.9259 --
BNT_10 C 48.97 45 101.03 299.52 5.47 1.0882 0.9944 0.9843 -- BNT_10
E 50.47 45.03 100.18 298.73 5.59 1.1208 1.010 1.0091 -- R =
Rhombohedral; T = Tetragonal
[0197] FIG. 21 illustrates the strain vs. electric field behavior
at room temperature for several rhombohedral phase crystals,
showing the low hysteresis and high strain that is attainable in
solid solutions of the present inventions. The crystal NBT2 which
is an undoped NBT is seen in FIG. 21 to be hysteretic and to have
modest strain, reaching 0.1% at about 60 kV/cm. The crystal XT21
contains 3.21 molar % BaTiO.sub.3 and shows low hysteresis
actuation above a coercive field of about 16 kV/cm. The crystal
BNT.08 10 contains 5.55 molar % BaTiO.sub.3 and is near the MPB. It
is actuated with an AC field about a DC bias field of 30 kV/cm. It
shows low hysteresis actuation reaching a high strain of about
0.24% at 60 kV/cm, and exhibits a d.sub.33 of about 400 pC/N.
[0198] Of all the tested crystals, that crystal designated as
BNT.08 7 was found to exhibit the highest piezoelectric strain.
This crystal is shown in FIG. 19. An X-ray diff-ractogram taken
from the oriented crystal face is shown in FIG. 20. Only
(001)/(100) and (002)/(200) reflections are seen, showing that the
crystal is oriented with its faces normal to the {001} directions
of the corresponding cubic phase. The splitting of the peaks
clearly shows that it is of the tetragonal phase. Although FIG. 20
indicates this crystal as being a perovskite structure in the view
taken from the oriented crystal face, the composition of the
crystal, given in Table 1, indicates that it is not a simple
perovskite, but instead is an Na-deficient, non-stoichiometric
solid solution.
[0199] The BNT.08 7 crystal was poled with a dc field of 3.1 kV/mm
for 10 minutes at 1001C. FIG. 4 shows the strain vs. electric field
behavior of this crystal to the highest field which was applied in
testing. A strain of 0.85% at 3.8 kV/mm was obtained. The
hysteresis observed is typical of a domain-switching ferroelectric.
The hysteresis curve indicates that the strain had not yet
saturated, and that even higher strains could have resulted had a
higher field strength been applied. When the crystal was tested at
low field strengths, the slope of the strain vs. field curves
showed a d.sub.33 value of 360 pC/N. This experimentally indicates
that the majority of the actuation strain achieved was due to
domain re-orientation within the tetragonal phase.
[0200] This result is a significant advance over the actuation
levels that are typically attainable in commercial PZT solid
solutions such as 5H, 5A, 4S, and 8M, which generally reach at most
about 0.45% strain at a field of about 3.8 kV/mm. This result
further confirms the superiority of the family of compositions
described herein and indicates that within the family of
compositions, the subclass of compositions as defined above can be
expected to produce particularly superior characteristics.
[0201] In comparison, in Example 1 a tetragonal single crystal in
the Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2TiO.sub.3--K.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2Ti0.sub.3
subclass of the compositional family was experimentally found to
reach a strain of about 0.2% at 7.73 kV/mm, and in Example 2, a
tetragonal single crystal in the
Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2TiO.sub.3--K.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2Ti0.sub.3--BaTiO-
.sub.3 subclass of the compositional family was experimentally
found to reach a strain of about 0.4% at 4.8 kV/mm. In FIG. 4, the
crystal containing 9.2 molar % BaTiO.sub.3 is crystal BNT 08 21
having a composition
Na.sub.o.475Bi.sub.0.43Ba.sub.o.092Ti.sub.1.012O.sub.3. The crystal
reaches a strain of about 0.4% at 30 kV/cm when actuated with an AC
field about a DC bias of 15 kV/cm. The thickness-mode coupling
coefficient of this crystal was measured using the
resonance-antiresonance method and was determined to be
k.sub.l=57%, which is superior to that of polycrystalline NBT-based
materials and approaches that of the best single crystals in the
PZN-PT and PMN-PT family. This further demonstrates the utility of
the present invention.
[0202] Considering the composition of the crystal designated as
BNT.08 7, as given in Table 1, it is seen that it includes 5.82
mole % Ba, which is near the morphotropic phase boundary
composition in stoichiometric crystals. However, this crystal is
clearly Na deficient with respect to the stoichiometric composition
of Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2TiO.sub.3--BaTiO.su- b.3, having an Na/Bi
ratio that is 0.654 rather than the ideal stoichiometric value of
1.0, a total Na+Bi+Ba molar concentration of 0.8155 per formula
unit rather than 1.0, and a (Na+Ba+Bi)/Ti ratio of 0.744 rather
than 1.0. While some of the other crystal compositions given in
Table 1 also vary away from the ideal cation stoichiometry of the
composition Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2TiO.sub.3, it is clear that the
crystal designated BNT.08 7 is exceptional in its deviation from
stoichiometry, and that this deviation from stoichiometry can be
directly correlated to the exceptional piezoelectric properties
exhibited by the crystal.
[0203] The crystals designated as BNT10C and BNT10E in Table 1 are
two slices cut from the same large crystal. The Ba concentrations
are 5.470% and 5.59%, respectively, both of these being close to
the morphotropic phase boundary composition. The actuation strain
vs. applied field for these two crystals are shown in FIGS. 22 and
23 respectively. These two crystals at room temperature exhibit a
sharp onset of actuation strain, at a field of approximately 3
kV/mm and 4 kV/mm respectively, reaching a maximum strain of 0.44%
and 0.3% respectively. This behavior is characteristic of a
field-forced antiferroelectric to ferroelectric phase transition,
and has previously been seen in Pb--La--Sn--Zr--Ti--O perovskites.
The invention provides the discovery of such behavior in a
lead-free single crystal perovskite, and in the NBT-BT system at
room temperature. The polarization vs. electric field loop
corresponding to FIG. 22, shown in FIG. 24, has a shape
characteristic of a field-forced AFE-FE phase transition. The
actuation strains achieved are approximately, equal to those of
conventional ferroelectric PZT's, and exceed those in
Pb--La--Sn--Zr--Ti--O polycrystals exhibiting AFE/FE phase change
behavior. The Example thus provides a recognition and an
experimental demonstration that single crystals in the
Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2TiO.sub.3--BaTiO.sub.3 system posses
AFE/FE-like actuation behavior with high actuation strain. The
Example correspondingly provides the discovery of a room
temperature antiferroelectric phase in the
Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2TiO.sub.3-- BaTiO.sub.3 system with useful
actuation properties.
EXAMPLE 7
Zr-doped Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2TiO.sub.3Single Crystals.
[0204] Crystal growth was conducted as described in Example 1, but
including 5% substitution of Zr for Ti in the target composition.
This was accomplished by adjusting the overall compositions so as
to reduce the Ti concentration to 95% of the value for
Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2TiO.sub.- 3 and adding ZrO.sub.2 in a quantity
yielding 5% Zr by mole. The crystal growth was successful, and
yielded many crystals ranging in size from 1 mm to 10 mm. One
crystal from this growth was analyzed and found to contain 5.5% Zr,
e.g., Na.sub.0.5Ti.sub.0.945Bi.sub.0.5Zr.sub.0.055O.sub.- 3. This
experiment indicates in accordance with the invention that single
crystals can be grown with partial substitution of Zr for Ti in the
parent compounds of the family of compositions provided by the
invention.
[0205] This aspect of the invention is significant in that single
crystals of Zr-containing perovskites are known in the art to be
extremely difficult to grow. For example, PZT single crystals are
not widely available. The results show that Ti-substitution at the
B-site of the alkaline bismuth titanate perovskites is possible, as
prescribed by the invention, thereby allowing for a broad range of
additional composition families.
EXAMPLE 8
Cs-Doped Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2TiO.sub.3 Single Crystals.
[0206] To experimentally confirm that substitution onto the A-site
(occupied by Na and Bi) of Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2TiO.sub.3 single
crystals is possible, crystal growth was conducted as described in
Example 1, but with 5% substitution of Cs for Na in the target
composition. The crystal growth was successful, and yielded many
crystals ranging in size from a few mm to greater than 10 mm in a
single growth run. This experimentally confirms the discovery
provided by the invention of a process for growth of single
crystals with partial substitution of heavier alkali metals such as
Rb and Cs for Na in the parent Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2TiO.sub.3 or
K.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2TiO.sub.3. The invention thereby also provides
alkaline bismuth titanate solid solutions with Rb or Cs substituted
for Na or K, the single crystal form of such compounds, and growth
methods as described herein. It also comprises other A-site
substitutions as described above.
EXAMPLE 9
Growth of a Textured Polycrystalline Piezoelectric in the PZN-PT
System.
[0207] The invention here further provides a method for achievement
of the growth of textured polycrystals in other perovskite systems
such as the PZN-PT material system. This experimentally provides
further evidence that the method of growth provided by the
invention can be broadly applied to may crystal systems. A target
crystal composition of
0.80Pb(Zn.sub.1/3Nb.sub.2/3)O.sub.3-0.20PbTiO.sub.3 was formulated
using the following starting materials: lead (II) oxide, zinc
oxide, titantium (IV) oxide, niobium (V) oxide (Nb.sub.2O.sub.5),
to which were added the following as a flu-forming agent: lead
(I,II) oxide, Pb.sub.3O.sub.4.
[0208] The molar ratio of the target crystal composition and the
flux was 35:65, and the batch size consisted of 450 g of starting
powder. The raw powders were mixed for 12 hours in a V-blender. The
mixed powders were fired at 900.degree. C. in a 100 mL platinum
crucible, then placed in a 200 mL alumina crucible and sealed with
an alumina lid, using OmegaBond.TM. "400" high temperature air-set
cement. The batch was then heated to 150.degree. C., held there for
2 hours, then cooled at a rate of 2.degree. C./h to 900.degree. C.,
whereupon it was cooled to room temperature at a rate of 50.degree.
C./h.
[0209] The crystal growth process resulted in formation of numerous
PZN-PT crystals of several mm to 1 cm diameter. At the top of the
growth mass, an assemblage of textured crystallites was observed.
These are shown in FIG. 25. This result provides additional
experimental confirmation of the process provided by the invention
of growing a textured polycrystal by nucleating smaller faceted
crystals and allowing them to align against a surface. It further
experimentally confinns that a range of textured polycrystal
material systems can be produced by the method provided by the
invention, and indeed, this growth technique can be generally
applied to a process in which crystals are to be grown from a
liquid. This experiment in itself is thus not meant to be limiting
but instead to be demonstrative of the techniques contemplated by
the invention.
EXAMPLE 10
Diffraction Analysis of High Strain Tetragonal Crystal.
[0210] Single crystal X-ray diffraction experiments were conducted
using Mo-radiation on Siemens SMART CCD Single Crystal
Diffractometer (Bruker AXS Inc., Madison, Wis.) and the diffraction
data were analyzed using Siemens SMART software package. An
irregular shaped 0.2 mm in size piece of NBT.08 3 crystal was
analyzed. As a result, the lattice symmetry and parameters were
determined, and the intensity-weighted reciprocal lattice net was
built. Due to a presence of multiple ferroelectric domains the
sample was analyzed as having triclinic symmetry with a slight
distortion from a cubic symmetry: cell edges 7.813, 7.818 and 7.808
A and cell angles 89.98.degree., 89.99.degree. and 90.00.degree..
The cell size is doubled compared to a simple perovskite structure
having the cell size of .about.4 A. This doubling of the unit cell
is caused by a long range ordering or octahedral tilt and is
manifested by the superlattice reflections present on the
intensity-weighed reciprocal lattice net. FIG. 26 presents a
O-layer of the reciprocal lattice net. The superlattice reflections
are those situated on the odd index grid-lines. The reciprocal
lattice pattern indicates that the supercell is primitive: no
systematic absences are observed. The crystal NBT.08 7 showed
qualitatively identical results with a lower peak to background
ratio in the diffraction pattern.
[0211] Electron diffraction experiments were conducted using
transmission electron microscope JEOL 2000 FX (JEOL USA Inc.,
Peabody, Mass.) with 200 kV accelerating voltage. A slice of a
crystal NBT.08 25 of composition
Na.sub.o.501Bi.sub.0.444Ba.sub.o.078TiO.sub.3 was analyzed. Size of
the diffraction-producing region was about 1 .mu.m. FIG. 27
represents the electron diffraction pattern of the sample with
double cell indexing. Again, the pattern has superlattice
reflections {110}. However, {100} reflections are not observed.
Both diffraction experiments show that sodium bismuth titanate
doped with barium titanate possesses a superstructure caused. The
corresponding supercell has dimensions two times that of the single
perovskite cell. The systematic presence of {110} reflections in
both diffraction experiments excludes the face-centered, NaCl-type
supercell that is the only super-structure previously known in NBT.
Thus a supercell with twice the lattice parameter of the single
perovskite cell is a unique characteristic of the materials
exemplified by this invention. The difference in the results of
single crystal diffraction and electron diffraction is due to the
difference in composition of the two analyzed samples.
EXAMPLE 11
Growth of Single Crystal Fibers by the EFG Method.
[0212] Single crystals from previous growth runs in the NBT-BT
system containing molar % and 10 molar % BaTiO.sub.3 and being
nearly stoichiometric in cation composition, were tested for
congruency of melting. The crystals were sealed in platinum foil
containers and melted at 1260.degree. C., then rapidly cooled and
examined by X-ray diffraction at 1.degree./min scan rate. FIG. 28
shows the X-ray diffractogram from the sample containing 5.5 molar
% BaTiO.sub.3. No diffraction peaks other than those for the
perovskite phase are observed, showing that the composition melts
congruently. Similar results were observed in the case of the 10%
BaTiO.sub.3 sample. Thus it is shown that NBT-BT compositions with
between 5.5 and 10 molar % BaTiO.sub.3 melt congruently. This in
turn shows that direct growth of single crystals and fibers from
the melt of these doped compositions is in principle possible.
[0213] Edge-defined, film-fed growth (EFG) experiments were
conducted using a BCG 365 Crystal grower (T.E. Brown (Barrington)
& Co., Cambridge, England) equipped with a B-100 RF generator
(Lindberg, Chicago, Ill.). A porous ceramic heat insulation was
used to reduce heat loss and temperature gradients.
[0214] 3g of crystals from the BNT.08 batch were put into a
platinum crucible and melted. The cooled melt was covered with a
platinum boat-shaped die having 0.3 mm, diameter hole. The assembly
was heated to .about.1330.degree. C. and kept at this temperature.
After melting, a 0.3 mm diameter platinum wire was lowered to touch
the melt and form a liquid neck with the melt through the hole in
the die. When the neck was formed, the wire was pulled up at the
rate of 18 mm/hr. Due to the gradient of temperature from the melt
to the wire, the crystallization occurred at the melt--wire
boundary. The resultant crystal had a cylindrical shape and was
.about.0.3 mm in diameter and .about.4 mm long. Microscopic study
of this rod proved it to be polycrystalline.
[0215] Another EFG experiment was carried out using a platinum die
having 0.5 diameter 5 hole and a single crystal from the BNT.08
batch attached to a platinum wire as a seed. The pulling rate was
25 mm/hr. All other conditions were the same as in the previous
experiment. The resultant crystal had a cylindrical shape and was
0.8-0.9 mm in diameter and .about.60 mm long. Microscopic study of
this filament proved it to be a single crystal. The crystals grown
in the described two EFG experiments are shown on FIG. 29. Optical
microscopy of the polished cross-section of the larger crystal
showed ferroelectric domain patterns. Thus it is shown that the
NBT-BT compositions described herein, being congruently melting
compounds, can be grown as single crystal fibers. Additional
experiments using a SrTiO.sub.3 single crystal seed oriented with
the [001] direction along the growth direction to nucleate the
single crystal fiber showed that the aforedescribed congruently
melting NBT-BT compositions could be grown as crystallographically
oriented single crystal fibers. Additional growth experiments on
(Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2).sub.1-xBa.sub.x(Ti.sub.1-xZr- .sub.y)O.sub.3
compositions in which x is between 0.01 and 0.2 and y is between
0.01 and 0.1 showed that crystallographically oriented single
crystal fibers of both rhombohedral and tetragonal perovskite
phases in this composition could be grown using the EFG technique
and SrTiO.sub.3 single crystal seeds with the [001] or [111] axis
oriented along the axis of the fiber.
EXAMPLE 12
Orientation Dependence of Piezoelectric Actuation in Tetragonal
Phase Perovskite.
[0216] A PZN-PT sinale crystal of composition
0.89PbZn.sub.1/3Nb.sub.2/3O.- sub.3-0.11PbTiO.sub.3 was grown
according to the method of Example 9. X-ray diffraction showed that
the crystal was of tetragonal symmetry. The crystal was oriented
and cut into three plates, each 0.8 mm thick and 4-5 mm in the
other two dimensions. The normals of the faces of the plates were
oriented in the 001, 011 and 111 directions of the corresponding
cubic phase, respectively. The plates were electroded on both sides
by sputtering about 1 micrometer thick layers of gold. FIG. 30
shows the strain vs. electric field behavior of the three plates.
It is clearly seen that the 001 oriented plate has the greatest
hysteresis, similar to that seen in FIG. 4. However, the 011 and
0.111, oriented plates have significantly reduced hysteresis. The
decreasing hysteresis is understood to result from a decrease in
the maximum possible fraction of ferroelectric domains having their
polarization vector at 90.degree. to the direction of the applied
field (coincident to the plate normal). Thus, it is shown that
actuation of a tetragonal phase perovskite piezoelectric out of the
direction of spontaneous polarization results in lower hysteresis
actuation. It is expected that poling of the (011) and (111)
oriented plates would result in further reduction of the
hysteresis.
EXAMPLE 13
[0217] This example demonstrates the effect on electromechanical
properties for solid solutions
Na.sub.(1/2-x/2)Bi.sub.(1/2-x/2)Ba.sub.(x)-
Ti.sub.(1-y)Zr.sub.(y)O.sub.3 in which x and y have been
systematically varied
[0218] A polycrystalline sintered sample identified as
z3b12_pellet.sub.--3-1 contains 3 mole % Zr on the B-site and 12
mole % Ba on the A-site. This sample was shown to be a relaxor
through various measurements which are illustrated in FIGS. 33A-C.
It did not pole, as determined by the minimal change in dielectric
constant before and after poling, and can be concluded to not
retain field-oriented ferroelectric domains, if present. See, FIG.
33B. X-ray diffraction showed that it was of tetragonal perovskite
phase. Dielectric measurements as a function of temperature and
frequency showed strong frequency dispersion below 200 C.,
characteristic of a relaxor dielectric. See, FIG. 33C. The
dielectric loss factor, tan ( ), showed a maximum in the region of
highest frequency dispersion of the dielectric constant, 125-175
C., which is also characteristic of a relaxor. Measurements of
electric field induced strain (FIG. 33A) showed that this
polycrystal reaches 0.16% strain at .about.55 kV/cm, which is a
higher strain than commercial PMN relaxors can reach at room
temperature. At higher frequencies and fields the strain has a
"butterfly" loop shape and the polarization loops show some
indication of saturation, indicating some contribution of
domain-switching ferroelectricity.
[0219] A series of tetragonal phase Ba+Zr co-doped single crystals
were grown using the flux method as previously described, and cut
and oriented along the cubic {100} faces (FIGS. 34A-D). Electron
microprobe microanalysis showed that the following crystal had the
doping levels: z3b8.sub.--1a 12 mole % Ba, 4 mole % Zr.
[0220] Dielectric constant vs temperature measurements of
z3b8.sub.--1a showed strong frequency dispersion below 200 C., and
a peak in the dielectric loss in the same temperature range,
characteristic of a relaxor (FIG. 35). Strain field measurements
reached 0.45% strain at .about.65 kV/cm, with indication of some
saturation (FIGS. 36A-B). At lower fields, the strain was nearly
parabolic with polarization, as expected for an electrostrictive
material.
[0221] A rhombohedral crystal z3b6.sub.--5b showed qualitatively
similar behavior but the frequency dispersion of dielectric
constant was less strong and the dielectric constant at room
temperature was lower, .about.1000, vs. .about.1500 for
z3b8.sub.--1a. The field induced strain was also approximately
parabolic and reached .about.0.043% at .about.50 kV/cm.
[0222] This demonstrates that both rhombohedral and tetragonal
phase crystals are relaxors in this system, and in the above
compositions neither poles in a manner characteristic of a
conventional ferroelectric. However, the tetragonal crystal which
contains more Ba has higher dielectric constant at low temperature,
and also greater field induced strain. Thus it is shown that by
doping with Zr on the B-site, a higher concentration of Ba can be
introduced on the A-site without resulting in a ferroelectric phase
at room temperature as in the case of NBT-BaTiO.sub.3 solid
solutions with BaTiO.sub.3 concentrations above the MPB composition
(.about.6% BaTiO.sub.3). It is therefore seen that the Curie
temperature is lowered by appropriate Ba+Zr codoping, revealing the
relaxor behavior.
[0223] In the (Ba+Zr)codoped NBT system, both the calculations of
tolerance factor and the experiments show that the MPB moves
rapidly to higher Ba concentrations upon adding Zr. This allows
higher Ba doping on the A-site while remaining near the MPB in
composition. In the (Ba+Hf) codoped NBT system, similar behavior is
expected since the MPB between BaTiO.sub.3 and the cubic perovskite
BaZrO.sub.3 lies at .about.20% BZ, and that between BaTiO.sub.3 and
cubic BaHfO.sub.3 is not very different, being at .about.23% BH.
Hf.sup.4+ also has a similar ion size to Zr.sup.4+ but a higher ion
polarizability. (Ba+Hf) codoped NBT is also expected to provide
excellent electromechanical properties, as shown in Example 16.
EXAMPLE 14
[0224] The preparation and testing of polycrystalline materials
having a range of barium and zirconium dopant levels are described.
Details of sample preparation and measurement is found in the
Master's Theses of Sossity Sheets, Dielectric and
Electrolmechanical Properties of Barium and Zirconium Co-Doped
Sodium Bismuth Titanate, Massachustts's Institute of Technolgy,
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cambridge, Ma
(2000), which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by
reference.
[0225] High purity (.ltoreq.99% purity), ultra-fine grain size
(.ltoreq.1 .mu.m) starting powders of Na.sub.2CO.sub.3,
Bi.sub.2O.sub.3, BaCO.sub.3, TiO.sub.2, and ZrO.sub.2 were mixed in
15, 20, or 25 g sized batches according to the intended nominal
stoichiometric composition (Table 2). Powder batches were
designated "p#," where each number represents a separate powder
batch.
10TABLE 2 Nominal Batch Compositions for (Ba + Zr) Co-Doped
Polycrystals (Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2).sub.1-xBa.sub.x(Ti.su-
b.1-yZr.sub.y)O.sub.3 mole mole Batch fraction fraction ID
Ba.sup.2+ (x) Zr.sup.4+ (y) p1 0.04 0.03 p2 0.06 0.03 p3 0.08 0.03
p4 0.10 0.03 p5 0.12 0.03 p6 0.12 0.03 p7 0.14 0.03 p8 0.07 0.04 p9
0.09 0.04 p10 0.12 0.04 p11 0.14 0.04 p12 0.09 0.09 p13 0.11 0.05
p14 0.09 0.07 p15 0.13 0.11 p16 0.12 0.08 p17 0.10 0.06 p18 0.12
0.07 p19 0.11 0.07 p20 0.10 0.10 p21 0.15 0.14 p22 0.20 0.22 p23
0.25 0.30
[0226] The mixed powders were formed into uniform slurries by the
addition of ethanol (15-20 ml for 20 g batch, .about.45 ml for 100
g crystal growth batch). Slurries were ball-milled with cylindrical
(1/4"-radius ended) zirconia media on a roller mill for 15.about.20
hours. Once dried, the soft, yellowish precursor powders were
ground with a zirconia mortar and pestle, transferred to a covered
alumina crucible and calcined in air at 800.degree. C. for 3 hours.
After the first calcination, the now ivory-colored powders were
highly agglomerated, but easily crumbled. After grinding vigorously
with a zirconia mortar and pestle, the powders were calcined a
second time in air at 1000.degree. C. for 20 hours, heating to
1000.degree. C. and cooling to 800.degree. C. at 100.degree. C./hr.
Cooling below 800.degree. C. proceeded at an unpowered rate to room
temperature. After the second calcination, powders were white and
highly agglomerated, but soft. X-ray powder diffraction confirmed
single-phase perovskite with minor second phase (<1 vol %).
[0227] Only one powder batch was not calcined at 1000.degree. C.
Batch p6 was calined twice: in air at 800.degree. C. for 3 hours
and in air at 950.degree. C. for 6 hours with the same heating and
cooling rates described above. X-ray powder diffraction confirmed
that pressed samples became single phase with minor second phase
(.about.5 vol %) during the sintering process.
[0228] Dense polycrystalline samples were prepared for dielectric
and electromechanical characterization from each of the powder
batches listed in Table 2.1. Between 0.8 and 1 g of powder was
weighed out and ground in a zirconia mortar.
[0229] To promote easier handling, the powder was mixed with a
polymer binder, polyvinyl alcohol, before pressing. The powder and
binder mixture was then pressed through a 500 .mu.m mesh nylon
screen. This produced evenly sized granules that flowed smoothly
and packed densely. The coated granules were poured into a 1/2" die
that had been lubricated with a thin layer of oleic acid. Samples
were pressed by slowly increasing pressure, holding 1 minute every
30 MPa until a maximum of 100 MPa was reached. The maximum pressure
was held for 5 minutes before releasing. Pressing resulted in a
highly consolidated green body with disc geometry. Discs were
sintered in air at 1200.degree. C. for 4 hours with a heating rate
of 100.degree./hr to maximum temperature and a controlled cooling
rate of 100.degree./hr to 800.degree. C. The sintered discs were
approximately 10 mm in diameter with thickness between 1-2 mm and
were near-full density (>95% of the crystal density).
[0230] EPMA composition analyses of polycrystalline samples are
reported in Table 3. The rhombohedral (R)/tetragonal (T)
morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) was located to within 2 mol % Ba
at a constant Zr level up to .about.10 mol % Zr, and showed
excellent agreement with the structure predictions using the
relative tolerance factor method.
11TABLE 3 Composition (EPMA) and Phase (XRD) for Co-Doped
Polycrystals compositions given in mole fraction (normalized to
unity on B-site except where indicated by *) Sample Nominal (Na +
Bi + Ba)/ ID (Ba/Zr) Na Bi Ba Ti Zr O (Ti + Zr) Symmetry p1a 4/3
0.52 0.44 0.04 0.93 0.03 2.88 1.04 R p2a 6/3 0.50 0.44 0.06 0.92
0.03 2.86 1.05 R p3a 8/3 0.48 0.44 0.08 0.97 0.03 2.97 0.99* T p4a
10/3 0.47 0.43 0.10 0.95 0.03 2.94 1.02 T p5a 12/3 0.47 0.42 0.11
0.91 0.03 2.86 1.06 T p6a 12/3 0.47 0.42 0.12 0.94 0.03 2.91 1.03 T
p6b 12/3 0.48 0.41 0.12 0.97 0.03 2.97 1.00 T p7a 14/3 0.45 0.41
0.14 0.97 0.03 2.97 0.99* T p8a 7/4 0.47 0.45 0.07 0.96 0.04 2.97
0.98* R p9a 9/4 0.48 0.43 0.09 0.92 0.04 2.88 1.04 T p10a 12/4 0.45
0.43 0.12 0.94 0.04 2.94 1.02 T p11a 14/4 0.46 0.41 0.14 0.93 0.04
2.91 1.03 T p12a 9/9 0.49 0.43 0.09 0.88 0.08 2.86 1.05 R p13a 11/5
0.48 0.41 0.11 0.91 0.05 2.88 1.04 T p14a 9/7 0.48 0.44 0.09 0.90
0.07 2.91 1.03 R p15a 13/11 0.44 0.43 0.12 0.84 0.10 2.83 1.06 T
p16a 12/8 0.46 0.42 0.12 0.88 0.08 2.88 1.04 T p17a 6/10 0.48 0.42
0.10 0.92 0.06 2.94 1.02 T p18a 12/7 0.47 0.42 0.11 0.89 0.07 2.86
1.05 T p19a 11/7 0.48 0.42 0.10 0.85 0.06 2.75 1.09 T p20a 10/10
0.47 0.43 0.10 0.86 0.09 2.86 1.06 R p21a 15/14 0.45 0.41 0.14 0.80
0.13 2.86 1.07 T p22a 20/22 0.42 0.38 0.20 0.76 0.22 2.94 1.02 T
p23a 25/30 0.39 0.36 0.26 0.70 0.29 2.97 1.02 T *indicates
composition was normalized to unity on the A-site R = rhombohedral,
T = tetragonal
[0231] Room temperature dielectric constant in the NBT-BT-NBZ
system is similar to that found in NBT-BT with .epsilon..sub.r
ranging from 1200-1600 for less than 15% Zr.sup.4+ and decreasing
to .about.750 for the highly-doped NBT-26BT-29NBZ sample. The
maximum room temperature dielectric constant of 1.56.times.10.sup.3
at 10 kHz was measured for NBT-10BT-3NBZ, which lies slightly to
the tetragonal side of the MPB. Room temperature dielectric loss in
the co-doped systems is lowest for NBT-4BT-3NBZ, tan .delta.=0.0453
at 10 kHz. Magnitude of loss increases generally for increasing
doping on both A- and B-sites, reaching a maximum of tan
.delta.=0.1301 at 10 kHz for NBT-26BT-29NBZ.
[0232] Doping with BaTiO.sub.3 has been shown to shift the
temperature of the FE.fwdarw.AFE transition downward to
.about.150.degree. C. in polycrystals and closer to
.about.100.degree. C. in single crystals. Doping simultaneously on
the A- and B-sites in shows that the temperature of the dielectric
maximum, T.sub.m, can be shifted as low as .about.60.degree. C. in
the highly doped sample p23a. The data demonstrated that controlled
doping in NBT-BT-NBZ polycrystalline compositions shifts T.sub.m
downward, such that at room temperature these compositions
illustrate relaxor behavior.
[0233] FIG. 38 provides an summary to the trends in actuation and
polarization observed in the system
(Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2).sub.1-xBa.sub.- x(Ti.sub.0.97Zr.sub.0.03).
Initially poled rhombohedral p1b (4 mol % Ba) actuated under ac
field shows initial signs of depoling around .about.26 kV/cm. A
maximum bipolar field induced strain of 0.17% at 49 kV/cm and 0.05
Hz was achieved in sample p1a. The unipolar strain is highly linear
with low hysteresis at 0.05 Hz. Calculated from the slope of the
unipolar strain driven to a maximum strain of 0.08% at 47 kV/cm,
d.sub.33=170 pC/N. Thus, the d.sub.33 of the rhombohedral
ferroelectric NBT-4BT-3NBZ exceeds the highest values previously
reported for polycrystalline NBT-BT, for which d.sub.33=125 pC/N.
The maximum saturated polarization at ac fields of 47 kV/cm reaches
37 .mu.C/cm.sup.2 with a coercive field E.sub.c.about.31 kV/cm and
remnant polarization Pr .about.261 .mu.C/cm.sup.2. P is slightly
higher than the observed P.sub.r.about.20 .mu.C/cm.sup.2 in
NBT-BT.
[0234] Initially poled tetragonal sample p7b (14 mol % Ba) actuated
under ac field showed qualitatively similar characteristics to
those seen for sample p1b (4 mol % Ba), however, initial signs of
depoling occurred at a much lower field of .about.10-13 kV/cm. It
also achieved a greater maximum bipolar and unipolar strain of
0.28% and 0.14% (0.05 Hz), respectively for the same fields. The
unipolar strain is highly linear with negligible hysteresis at 0.05
Hz, and d.sub.33.about.310 pC/N. Thus, the tetragonal ferroelectric
NBT-14BT-3NBZ shows properties at low frequency that match the
highest values reported for polycrystalline PZT-8 with
d.sub.33.about.300 pC/N. The maximum saturated polarization at ac
fields of 37 kV/cm reaches 49 .mu.C/cm.sup.2 with a low coercive
field of E.sub.c.about.14.5 kV/cm and remnant polarization of
P.sub.r.about.21 .mu.C/cm.sup.2.
[0235] As the MPB is approached from the both the ferroelectric
rhombohedral (F.sub.R) and the ferroelectric tetragonal (F.sub.T)
phase fields, a phase transition to predominantly electrostrictive
actuation (PE) occurs. Samples that lie very close to the
PE.fwdarw.FE boundary undergo a field-forced transition (FFT) from
PE response at low fields to FE at high fields. This behavior has
been observed in rhombohedral NBT-6BT-3NBZ (FFT.sub.R) and
tetragonal NBT-12BT-3NBZ (FFT.sub.T).
[0236] NBT doped with 6 mol % Ba and 3 mol % Zr lies near the MPB
in the rhombohedral phase field. As the MPB is approached from far
in the rhombohedral phase field, T.sub.m drops from >119.degree.
C. for ferroelectric NBT-4BT-3NBZ to .about.95.degree. C. in
NBT-6BT-3NBZ at 0.05 Hz. Low-field actuation is predominantly
electrostrictive with negligible hysteresis at 0.05 Hz. Sample p2b
reaches a maximum of 0.13% electrostrictive strain at 46 kV/cm
before the field forced transition is initiated. The polarization
is linear and slightly hysteretic with a maximum of 28
.mu.C/cm.sup.2 at 46 kV/cm, where it begins to show signs of
saturation. The current loop is a slightly distorted circle, with
peaks at zero field showing only slight separation. The field
induced maximum d.sub.33 is .about.450 pC/N at 32 kV/cm and the
electrostrictive coefficient Q.sub.11 is .about.1.8.times.10.sup.-2
m.sup.4/C.sup.2.
[0237] At fields higher than 46 kV/cm in sample p2b, a field-forced
phase transition occurs with increased hysteresis due to initiation
of domain wall motion (ferroelectric and/or ferroelastic) and
nearly infinite slope in strain/field at 50 kV/cm. Maximum bipolar
strain reaches 0.28% at 60 kV/cm and unipolar strain reaches 0.31%
at 73 kV/cm, however each shows significant hysteresis.
[0238] Approaching the MPB from the FT field, samples doped with 12
mol % Ba, 3 mol % Zr lie very near the PE/FE boundary and also
undergo an field-forced phase transition. Maximum electrostrictive
strain is 0.09% at 29 kV/cm before the field-forced transition is
initiated around 30-35 kV/cm. Even at low field, where the response
is predominantly electrostrictive, the polarization loop has a
higher remnant polarization (.about.7 vs. 3 .mu.C/cm.sup.2) than
NBT-6BT-3NBZ and the saturation peaks in current display greater
separation, indicating a significant FE component. The field
induced maximum d.sub.33 is .about.460 pC/N at 32 kV/cm and the
electrostrictive coefficient Q.sub.11 is .about.1.8.times.10.sup.-2
C.sup.2/m.sup.4. A similar evolution from PE actuation with no
hysteresis to a highly hysteretic strain loop which eventually
clamps down to a linear piezoelectric response is seen for the
FFT.sub.T phase. The high-field polarization (P.sub.max.about.41
.mu.C/cm.sup.2 at 55 kV/cm) for NBT-12BT-3NBZ also does not show a
pinched AFE loop, but shows a mix of electrostrictive and
ferroelectric responses. The high-field current clearly shows the
mix of responses. Electrostrictive peaks are aligned near zero
field, and the FE contribution, off-center, is less resolved but is
easily observed.
[0239] As the MPB is approached from NBT-12BT-3NBZ, a gradual
decrease in the degree of FE character, as well as a decrease in
T.sub.m(0.05 Hz), is observed. Sample NBT-8BT-3NBZ (T.sub.m(0.05
Hz).about.87.degree. C.), of near-MPB composition, shows the purest
electrostrictive response for the 3 mol % Zr set of compositions.
NBT-10BT-3NBZ is predominantly electrostrictive, but shows a
slightly higher degree of ferroelectric contribution as it lies
close to the PE.fwdarw.FE boundary. These compositions reflect the
shifting downward of the electrostrictive phase field to near-room
temperature at the MPB.
[0240] NBT-10BT-3NBZ reaches a maximum of 0.24% bipolar strain at
53 kV/cm and 0.21% unipolar strain at 53 kV/cm. The unipolar strain
curve is parabolic (as opposed to the linear piezoelectric
response), showing the same response as the bipolar loop. The
polarization is linear and slightly hysteretic with a maximum of 36
.mu.C/cm.sup.2 at 49 kV/cm where it begins to show signs of
saturation. The current loop shows predominantly electrostrictive
peaks centered at zero field with some distortion from unresolved
ferroelectric contribution. The field induced maximum d.sub.33 is
.about.725 pC/N at 32 kV/cm and the electrostrictive coefficient
Q.sub.11 is .about.1.9.times.10.sup.-2 m.sup.4/C.sup.2.
[0241] NBT-8BT-3NBZ reaches a maximum of 0.15% bipolar strain at 49
kV/cm and 0.13% unipolar strain at 44 kV/cm. The unipolar strain
curve is parabolic, reaching a maximum strain of 0.13% at 44 kV/cm.
The polarization is linear and slightly hysteretic with a maximum
of 33 .mu.C/cm.sup.2 at 49 kV/cm where it begins to show signs of
saturation. The current loop shows predominately electrostrictive
peaks centered at zero field. A small FE component can still be
observed. The field induced maximum d.sub.33 is .about.500 pC/N at
32 kV/cm and the electrostrictive coefficient Q.sub.11 is
.about.1.4.times.10.sup.-2 m.sup.4/C.sup.2.
[0242] Increasing the doping level of Zr.sup.4 from 3 to 4 mol %
lowers T.sub.m at 0.05 Hz nearly 10.degree. C. near the MPB. A
systematic compositional study of constant 4 mol % Zr shows that
for increasing 7-14 mol % Ba.sup.2+, actuation was primarily
electrostrictive with a small FE component. Actuation behavior is
most purely electrostrictive for NBT-7BT-4NBZ (T.sub.m(0.05
Hz).about.80.degree. C.) and NBT-9BT-4NBZ (T.sub.m(0.05
Hz).about.79.degree. C.), which lie near MPB. Compared to
NBT-8BT-3NBZ (T.sub.m(0.05 Hz).about.87.degree. C.),
electrostriction is also more apparent in these two compositions,
for they display less hysteresis in strain and polarization loops
at 0.05 Hz. However, a small FE component is still present and can
be detected as a distortion in the predominantly electrostrictive
response of the current loop. As Ba.sup.2+ concentration increases
farther into the tetragonal phase field, compositions NBT-12BT-4NBZ
and NBT-14BT-4NBZ show an increasing FE component in polanzation
and actuation. The actuation character of NBT-14BT-4NBZ is similar
to that of NBT-10BT-3NBZ, suggesting that it lies very close to the
PE-FE boundary. Thus, it is clear that increasing Ba.sup.2+>14
mol % in this system will result in FE actuation. FIGS. 37-41
summarize longitudinal strain, polarization, and electrostrictive
properties for this set of compositions. As is expected, as the
contribution of the FE component increases the dielectric
susceptibility .kappa. (proportional to slope of P vs. E curve)
increases, suggesting that predominantly electrostrictive materials
with high polarizations may be engineered through controlled doping
of compositions that lie close to the PE-FE phase boundary.
[0243] High level Ba.sup.2+ and Zr.sup.4+ doping pushes
compositions farther into the paraelectric phase field at room
temperature. T.sub.m extrapolated to 0.05 Hz for NBT-26BT-29NBZ
lies around 37.degree. C. (T.sub.m(0.05 Hz).about.37.degree. C.),
suggesting that room temperature actuation occurs within
.about.10.degree. C. of the permittivity maximum. Correspondingly,
sample p23a shows predominantly electrostrictive actuation
behavior. No hysteresis is seen at 1 Hz (rather than 0.05 Hz),
similar to the behavior observed for the electrostrictor PMN at
room temperature. The achievable strain (0.01%) is lower than that
observed in PMN and the previously discussed co-doped NBT
compositions. The polarization loop is highly linear with
negligible hysteresis and the current loop is a nearly undistorted
circle, consistent with a linear dielectric.
EXAMPLE 15
[0244] The preparation and testing of single crystal materials
having a range of barium and zirconium dopant levels are described.
Details of sample preparation and measurement is found in the
Master's Theses of Sossity Sheets, Dielectric and
Electrolmechanical Properties of Barium and Zirconium Co-Doped
Sodium Bismuth Titanate, Massachustts's Institute of Technolgy,
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Cambridge, Ma
(2000), which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by
reference.
[0245] Single crystals of co-doped (Ba+Zr) NBT were grown by the
self-flux method. High purity (>99% purity) starting powders of
Na.sub.2CO.sub.3, Bi.sub.2O.sub.3, BaCO.sub.3, TiO.sub.2, and
ZrO.sub.2 were mixed in 100 g sized batches according to the
intended nominal stoichiometric composition (Table 4) with the
addition of a self-flux composed of 20 wt % excess each of
Na.sub.2CO.sub.3 and Bi.sub.2O.sub.3. Table 4 lists the nominal
compositions and conditions for flux growth batches that produced
viable crystals for testing.
[0246] Powder preparation followed the same procedure through the
first calcination at 800.degree. C. as described in Example 13 for
polycrystalline samples. After the first calcination, powders were
ground in a zirconia mortar and transferred to a 100 ml-capacity,
covered, platinum crucible. The platinum crucible was fitted inside
a larger, covered alumina crucible. The powders were held for 5
hours at 1350.degree. C., and cooled according to various schedules
(Table 4) that typically yielded intergrown crystals set within
solidified flux. Weight loss was less than 1% for all crystal
growths, indicating that bismuth loss due to volatilization was not
significant.
12TABLE 4 Nominal Batch Compositions for (Ba + Zr) Co-Doped Single
Crystals with Growth Schedule
(Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2).sub.1-xBa.sub.xTi.sub.1-yZr.sub.y)O.sub.3
mole fraction mole fraction Batch ID Ba.sup.2+ (x) Zr.sup.4+ (y)
Self-Flux Growth Schedule s1 0.08 0.03 R.T. -> 1350.degree. C. @
100.degree./hr hold 5 hours 1350.degree. C. -> 800.degree. C. @
5.degree./hr 800.degree. C. -> R.T. @ 50.degree./hr s2 0.08 0.03
R.T. -> 1350.degree. C. @ 100.degree./hr hold 5 hours
1350.degree. C. -> 1260.degree. C. @ 100.degree./hr hold 1 hour
1260.degree. C. -> 1000.degree. C. @ 1.5.degree./hr 1000.degree.
C. -> R.T. @ 50.degree./hr s3 0.06 0.03 s4 0.10 0.03 s5 0.10
0.03
[0247] The greatest success in achieving crystals viable for
characterization occurred for nominal doping of 3 mol % Zr with 6,
8, and 10 mol % Ba.sup.2+. Flux grown co-doped crystals tend to
grow with pseudo-cubic habit. The pseudo-cubic {001} orientation of
these crystals was confirmed by with diffraction experiments using
a Rigaku 18 kW rotating anode x-ray generator (copper anode),
normally used for powder x-ray diffraction. EPMA compositional
analysis of individual crystals is reported in Table 5. The
symmetry of the perovskite phase was determined by powder x-ray
diffraction and is also listed in Table 5.
13TABLE 5 Composition (EPMA) and Phase (XRD) for Co-Doped Single
Crystals compositions given in mole fraction (normalized to unity
on B-site except where indicated by *) Sample Nominal (Na + Bi +
Ba)/ ID (Ba/Zr) Na Bi Ba Ti Zr O (Ti + Zr) Symmetry s1a 8/3 0.45
0.43 0.12 0.91 0.04 2.88 1.05 T s1b 8/3 0.47 0.43 0.10 0.90 0.04
2.86 1.06 T s2a 8/3 0.50 0.45 0.05 0.94 0.04 2.94 1.02 R s2b 8/3
0.49 0.46 0.05 0.96 0.04 2.97 0.99* R s2c 8/3 0.49 0.45 0.06 0.95
0.04 2.94 1.01 R s4b 10/3 0.49 0.43 0.09 0.96 0.04 2.97 1.00 T s4c
10/3 0.50 0.45 0.06 0.96 0.04 2.97 1.00 R s4d 10/3 0.49 0.44 0.07
0.94 0.04 2.94 1.02 R
[0248] Room temperature dielectric constants Er for single crystals
in the NBT-BT-NBZ composition system are on the order of 10.sup.3
and loss tangents range from 0.04 to .about.0.08 for the 100-1000
kHz measurement range. The overall shape of the dielectric constant
and loss against temperature curve for single crystals correspond
well with that of polycrystals of nearly the sample composition
(same doping level of Ba.sup.2+ and Zr.sup.4+), again, showing that
the crystals also possess relaxor behavior.
[0249] All crystal compositions studied here, with 4 mol % Zr, show
predominantly electrostrictive actuation and polarization behavior
at room temperature, similar to the behavior seen in the 4 mol % Zr
polycrystalline series. However, the single crystals achieve much
higher actuation strain and field-induced d.sub.33 than their
polycrystalline counterparts. Strain hysteresis loops for
tetragonal phase perovskites are predominately electrostrictive in
character but show hysteresis at 1 Hz. Hysteresis becomes
negligible at 0.05 Hz, as observed in the polycrystalline samples.
Unipolar actuation is also parabolic against field (as opposed to
the linear piezoelectric response), further supporting their
electrostrictive classification. Crystal s1a exhibited the maximum
electrostrictive strain observed in this system of 0.45%, which is
approximately twice the strain achieved (0.21%) in its
polycrystalline compositional counterpart. Crystal s4b showed more
than quadruple the actuation strain achieved in the polycrystal of
similar composition with a maximum longitudinal strain of 0.26%
versus 0.06% at the same field.
[0250] Field induced d.sub.33 in NBT-BT-NBZ single crystals also
far surpasses the polycrystalline compositions, reaching 2000 pC/N.
The electrostrictive coefficient Q.sub.11 lies in the same range as
the polycrystals with Values around 2.times.10.sup.-2
m.sup.4/C.sup.2.
[0251] Strain hysteresis loops for rhombohedral single crystals are
predominantly electrostrictive in character and also show
negligible hysteresis at 0.05 Hz and parabolic unipolar actuation.
Actuation strains range from .about.0.2% to .about.0.3% in these
crystals.
[0252] Crystal s4d (NBT-7BT-4NBZ) does not show significantly
greater ultimately achievable strain compared to its
polycrystalline compositional counterpart (0.23% versus 0.21%),
however, the single crystal shows about twice the strain at 50
kV/cm as the polycrystal. Additionally, the single crystal shows no
signs of saturation around 50 kV/cm, while the polycrystalline
counterpart has already begun to saturate at similar fields. Thus,
the field induced d.sub.33 for the single crystal is much higher at
.about.930 pC/N versus .about.425 pC/N. The maximum field-induced
d.sub.33 for rhombohedral crystals is 1180 pC/N at 40 kV/cm, still
nearly double that of the polycrystalline counterparts.
[0253] Table 6 lists the properties of co-doped (Ba+Zr) NBT
polycrystals and single crystals compared to the conventional
lead-based electrostrictive materials. The material data show that
this new NBT-BT-NBZ family of relaxor electrostrictors are more
than competitive in peak strain and d.sub.33 with the commercial
lead relaxors PMNs, PMNTs and PLZTs.
14TABLE 6 Comparison of Polycrystalline and Single Crystal
Electrostriction Peak Longitudinal Material Strain, % Peak
d.sub.33, pC/N Single crystal [100] (tetragonal) 0.45 2000
NBT-12BT-4NBZ Single crystal [100] (rhombohedral) 0.30 1180
NBT-6BT-4NBZ Polycrystal (tetragonal) 0.24 780 NBT-14BT-4NBZ Single
crystal PMN [111].sup.1 0.11 (R.T.) 213 Polycrystal PMNT.sup.2 0.16
(R.T.) 1100 0.12 (R.T.) 700 Polycrystal PLZT.sup.3 1030 .sup.1S. B.
Lee et al., Appl. Phys. Lett., 74[7] 1030 (1999)
.sup.2www.TRSCeramics.com .sup.3Z. Y. Meng et al., J. Am. Ceram.
Soc., 68[8] 459 (1985)
EXAMPLE 16
[0254] This example describes the preparation and analysis of a
Ba+Hf co-doped material. Polycrystalline sintered samples of
composition
(Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2).sub.1-xBa.sub.x(T.sub.1-yHf.sub.y)O.sub.3
were prepared using the method of Example 14. Single crystals were
grown by the flux method of Example 15. These compositions are also
referred to as NBT-xBT-yNBH, where NBH represents the composition
Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2HfO.sub.3. In these compositions, x ranged from
0.02 to 0.25 and y from 0.01 to 0.25. As-fired powders and as-grown
single crystals were examined by x-ray diffraction. Within the
composition range of x and y given above, a rhombohedral phase
perovskite was identified for low Ba/high Hf compositions, and a
tetragonal phase perovskite for high Ba/low Hf compositions.
However, in contrast to the Ba+Zr co-doped materials, a cubic or
pseudocubic phase, exhibiting indistinguishable splitting of the
[hkl] x-ray diffraction peaks that would ordinarily distinguish a
rhombohedral phase or tetragonal phase perovskite from a cubic
perovskite, were found for a field of compositions with
intermediate Ba and Hf concentrations. For example, the following
compositions exhibited rhombohedral phase: x=0.02, y=0.02; x=0.05,
y=0.05; x=0.065, y=0.05; x=0.1, y=0.1; and x=0.13; y=0.13. The
following compositions were observed to be tetragonal perovskite:
x=0.1, y=0.01; and x=0.02, y=0.12. The following compositions were
observed to have cubic or pseudocubic phase: x=0.065, y=0.02;
x=0.08, y=0.02; x=0.1, y=0.02; x=0.076, y=0.05; x=0.1, y=0.05;
x=0.12, y=0.055; x=0.12, y=0.04; x=0.13, y=0.11; x=0.15, y=0.11;
x=0.15, y=0.15; x=0.2, y=0.2; x=0.25; y=0.25. Dielectric constant
vs. temperature measurements showed relaxor behavior in these
materials.
[0255] Electromechanical measurements showed predominantly
piezoelectric, predominantly electrostrictive, and mixed actuation
depending on composition. FIG. 42 shows results corresponding to
two polycrystalline samples. The top-left figure shows the
polarization vs. electric field loop for a tetragonal phase sample
of composition x=0.01, y=0.09, in which the characteristics of
ferroelectric domain-switching are seen. The top-right figure shows
the electromechanical strain exhibited by this sample under bipolar
field. It is seen that this material exhibits a coercive field of
about 10 kV/cm, reaches a strain of 022% at 55 kV/cm, at which
point it has not yet saturated, and from the slope of the strain
vs. field relation at the higher fields, exhibits a d.sub.33 of
about 400 pC/N. Thus, as in the case of the Ba+Zr co-doped
materials, this Ba+Hf composition is found to have actuation
properties comparable to hard PZTs such as PZT-8.
[0256] In the lower-left of FIG. 42, the electromechanical strain
under unipolar drive is shown for a polycrystalline composition
x=0.08, y=0.02. The bipolar strain is shown in the lower-right of
FIG. 42. This sample was cubic or pseudocubic according to x-ray
diffraction. It exhibits predominantly electrostrictive strain,
reaching >0.2% strain at fields <60 kV/cm, at which point
saturation of strain is not yet evident. This electromechanical
strain exceeds that of well-known polycrystalline lead-relaxor
electrostrictive materials such as PMN, PMNT, and PLZT.
[0257] These results show that the
(Na.sub.1/2Bi.sub.1/2).sub.1-xBa.sub.x(- Ti.sub.1-yHf.sub.y)O.sub.3
family of compositions exhibits useful electromechanical properties
of electrostrictive, piezoelectric, or mixed nature. From examples
14, 15, and 16, it is clear that compositions that are doped with
Ba on the A-site and both Zr and Hf on the B-site, as well as other
compositions given herein, are also useful electromechanically
active materials.
* * * * *