Microstructure and Electrical Properties of Cerium-Doped Bismuth-Layer 0.9Bi4Ti3O12-0.1K0.5Na0.5NbO3 Piezoelectric Ceramics

The cerium doped 0.9Bi4Ti3O12-0.1K0.5Na0.5NbO3 (BTO-KNN) piezoelectric ceramics were synthesized using conventional solid state processing. The effects of CeO2 doping on the microstructure and the electrical properties of BTO-KNN ceramics were investigated. It is found that the ceramics possess a pure phase of bismuth oxide layer-type structure. The piezoelectric properties of BTO-KNN-based ceramics are significantly improved after cerium doping. The piezoelectric constant d33, dielectric loss tan δ, mechanical quality factor Qm and remanent polarization Pr for the BTO-KNN ceramics with 0.75 wt% CeO2 dopant are found to be 28 pC/N, 0.29%, 2897, 11.83 µC/cm2, respectively, and with high Curie temperature TC (∼615 °C) and stable piezoelectric properties, demonstrating that the cerium doped BTO-KNN piezoelectric ceramics are the promising candidates for high-temperature applications.