FIELD-INDUCED PHASE SWITCHING AND ELECTRICALLY DRIVEN STRAINS IN SOL-GEL DERIVED ANTIFERROELECTRIC (PB,NB)(ZR,SN,TI)O-3 THIN-LAYERS

Tin-modified lead zirconate titanate thin layers were prepared by a sol-gel method. A room- temperature antiferroelectric (AFE) phase composition Pb 0.99Nb0.02[(Zr0.58Sn0.42) 0.96Ti0.04] 0.98O3 was prepared and examined for weak- and high-field dielectric properties as a function of temperature, with emphasis on field-induced AFE-ferroelectric (FE) switching characteristics. Thin layers processed with a lead oxide cover coat were found to be free of any secondary phases and showed improved properties. Room-temperature values of dielectric constant K'=390 and saturation polarization Ps=20 μC/cm2 were obtained with field-induced strains up to 0.15% in submicron grain structures. © 1995 American Institute of Physics.