Synthesis and dielectric properties of SrxBa1-xNb2O6 formed by YAG laser ablation

Tungsten-bronze type tetragonal SixBa1-xNb2O6 (SBN) ceramics have been synthesized by pressure-less sintering at 1250 degreesC through a mixed-oxide route. With increasing x value in the range from 0.3 to 0.6, the Curie temperature shifted to lower temperature, but the corresponding maximum dielectric constant increased. Further, Sr0.3Ba0.7Nb2O6 thin films have been formed by pulsed YAG laser deposition (PLD) technique using a selected SBN bulk target with various choices of the deposition parameters. When Pt-coated Si substrates were used for PLD, a preferential c-axis-ordered structure was observed in the films deposited using an energy density above 2.0 J/cm(2), at a substrate temperature above 650 degreesC, and in oxygen partial pressure below 7 Pa. The thin film yielded a rhomboidal P-E hysteresis loop, and showing a remanent polarization (P-r) of 3.1 mu C/cm(2) and coercive field (E-c) of 1.28 kV/cm. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.