Piezoelectric properties of BaTiO3 ceramics with high performance fabricated by microwave sintering

Hydrothermally synthesized BaTiO3 powders with nanoscale-sized particles were densified by microwave sintering. A sintered sample of the nanopowder fabricated by hydrothermal synthesis has a high piezoelectric constant d(33) due to fabrication by microwave sintering. The maximum value of the piezoelectric constant d33 of a specimen fabricated by microwave sintering was approximately 350pC/N for a small grain size of 2.1 mu m. Detailed microstructures of the samples were observed by transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and scanning electron microscopy/electron backscattered diffraction analysis/orientation imaging microscopy (SEM/EBSD/OIM). The size of ferroelectric domains in the samples showing superior piezoelectric properties was less than 50nm. SEM/EBSD/OIM observations revealed that the fraction of random boundaries was higher by approximately 10% in microwave sintered samples than in conventionally sintered ones. It is suggested that the small size of domain and the higher fraction of random boundaries might be responsible for the excellent piezoelectric properties of small grains, which can partially be attributed to domain size.