Enhancement of p-type conductivity, in nanocrystalline BaTiO3 ceramics -: art. no. 082110

Undoped BaTiO3 ceramic samples with an average grain size of similar to 35 nm were prepared and the electrical properties investigated. The defect structure is dominated by acceptor impurities; therefore, the conductivity of nanocrystalline BaTiO3 is of p-type. Comparing with microcrystalline BaTiO3, the conductivity of nanocrystalline BaTiO3 is about 1 to 2 orders of magnitude higher and the activation energy remarkably lower, which is ascribed to a greatly reduced oxidation enthalpy in nanocrystalline BaTiO3 (similar to 0.3 versus similar to 0.92 eV for microcrystalline BaTiO3). (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics.