Influence of Thermal and Electrical Histories on Domain Structure and Polarization Switching in Potassium‐Modified Lead Zirconate Titanate Ceramics

Abstract

The dependence of domain evolution and polarization switching on thermal and electrical histories has been investigated for K 1+ ‐ion‐modified lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics by using hot‐stage transmission electron microscopy and Sawyer—Tower polarization methods. In each case, the domains were very narrow, on the order of several hundred angstroms. In the aged condition, the domain structure was dominated by a “wavy” morphology. In the as‐quenched condition, fine and straight 180° domains were found that extended across entire grains. In the field‐cooled condition, fine and straight 70° and 110° domains were found. Corresponding polarization studies revealed double‐loop characteristics in the as‐quenched and aged conditions. In both these cases, the switchable polarization was much less than that of the base PZT composition. In the field‐cooled condition, a single polarization loop was observed. However, the polarization—electric field ( P — E ) curve was skewed from the origin, and the polarization was not completely switchable on field reversal. These changes in domain stability and P — E properties have then been explained in terms of the dependence of a spatial distribution of polarizable defect complexes on thermal and electrical histories.