Single Crystal Growth and Texturing of Lead-Based Piezoelectric Ceramics via Templated Grain Growth Process

In the field of high-performance piezoelectric materials, PMN-PT single crystals and textured ceramics have been attracting increased research interest for several years. On the other hand, the growth of single crystals from melt for PZT-based compositions is impossible due to its incongruent melting behavior. In order to obtain the characteristics of pure single crystal PZT as closely as possible, the PZT must be textured by secondary recrystallization of introduced seeds in a fine-grained matrix. Zirconium was therefore added to a PMN-PT-ceramic with 32 mol% PT (Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)0.68Ti0.32O3) in order to obtain a PMN-PZT-ceramic with 37 mol% PT and 21 mol% PZ (Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)0.42(Ti0.638Zr0.362)0.58O3). Initially, the growth mechanism of (001)-oriented BaTiO3 (BT) single crystals in those matrices was investigated. The piezoelectric single crystals were produced via a process that starts with the hot pressing of a BT single crystal in cold isostatically pressed ceramics, followed by an additional sintering ...