Structural Impact on Dielectric Properties of Zirconia

Zirconium hydroxide powders were calcined at 100, 250, 500, and 1000 °C to study the effects of porosity, surface area, structure, and electronic properties as a function of temperature. Characterization techniques such as X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), thermal gravimetric analysis (TGA), ultraviolet–visible (UV–vis) spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) demonstrated that the powder surface area and porosity decreased as the material changed from an amorphous phase to a monoclinic crystal structure. Impedance analysis showed both the dielectric constants and capacitance decreased by 2 orders of magnitude as crystallinity increased, correlating to a lowered concentration of defects, such as surface hydroxyl groups that contribute to leakage current.