title: The grain size effect on the properties of Aurivillius phase Bi3.15Nd0.85Ti3O12 ferroelectric ceramics.
abstract: Aurivillius phase, bismuth layer structured ferroelectric Bi(3.15)Nd(0.85)Ti(3)O(12) (BNdT) ceramics with average grain sizes from 90 nm and high densities (>97%) were fabricated by spark plasma sintering. Decreasing grain size produced a diffuse ferro-paraelectric phase transition and a decrease in the Curie point. Compared with BNdT ceramics with grain sizes of micrometre scale, nanograined BNdT ceramics exhibit a depression of the dielectric maximum at the Curie point, enhanced dielectric constant from room temperature to 350 degrees C and dramatically decreased losses. Although ferroelectric switching was greatly inhibited in nanograined ceramics, both ferroelectric and piezoelectric measurements still clearly showed that BNdT ceramics with 90 nm average grain sizes are ferroelectrically switchable. This is the first reported evidence that nanoscale Aurivillius phase ceramics are ferroelectrically active.
authors.affiliation: School of Engineering and Materials Science, Queen Mary University of London, London E1 4NS, UK.
authors.forename: Hongtao
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Zhang
authors.forename: Haixue
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Yan
authors.forename: Huanpo
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Ning
authors.forename: Michael J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Reece
authors.forename: Mirva
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Eriksson
authors.forename: Zhijian
authors.initials: Z
authors.lastname: Shen
authors.forename: Yanmei
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Kan
authors.forename: Peiling
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Wang