Morphotropic phase boundaries ferroelectric/piezoelectric

Figure 2.4 Strain-field curves for < 001 > oriented 0.91PbZn1/3Nb2/303-0.09PbTi03 single crystals. The sample in (a) was poled at room temperature, where the resulting domain state is unstable (due to induction of tetragonal material associated with the curved morphotropic phase boundary), yielding substantial hysteresis. In (b) the crystal was poled at low temperatures to keep it in the rhombohedral phase. When measured at room temperature, the piezoelectric response is much more linear and non-hysteretic, due to the improved stability of the ferroelectric domain state. Data courtesy of S. E. Park.

As a consequence, the joins for (Pbi. (Bajc)Ti03 at low temperature and for Pb(Zri cTy03 at room temperature are interrupted by a morphotropic phase boundary (MPB), which separates tetragonal and rhombohedral phases (Fig. 14). The structural state of the oxides in the vicinity of the MPB is a subject of active inquiry, because many of the physical properties of PBZT ferroelectrics are maximized at the MPB. These include the dielectric constant, the piezoelectric constant, and the electromechanical coupling coefficients (Jaffe 1971, Thomann and Wersing 1982, Heywang and Thomann 1984). For industrial purposes, this behavior is exploited by annealing PBZT ferroelectrics with compositions near the MPB close to the Curie temperature in an... 

Iwata, M. and Ishibashi. Y. (2005) Analysis of ferroelectricity and enhanced piezoelectricity near the morphotropic phase boundary. Topics Appl. Phys., 98, 127-148. 

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