Concurrently Enhanced Piezoelectric Performance and Curie Temperature in Stressed Lead-free BCTZ Ceramics
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Eco-friendly, lead-free BaTiO 3 -based piezoelectric materials play a crucial role in advancing sustainable electronic applications. Improving piezoelectric properties in lead-free piezoelectric ceramics often involves a trade-off with Curie temperature ( T C ) due to various performance metrics. In this study, we implemented an innovative stress engineering approach by introducing a secondary phase BaAl 2 O 4 . This method simultaneously enhances both T C and the piezoelectric coefficient ( d 33 ) in (Ba 0.85 Ca 0.15 )(Ti 0.9 Zr 0.1 )O 3 (BCTZ) ceramics. The difference in thermal expansion coefficients between BCTZ and BaAl 2 O 4 induces internal stress within the BCTZ matrix, leading to significant lattice distortion and altering the phase fractions of BCTZ, which improves both T C and the d 33 . Additionally, the local electric field at the interface of BCTZ and BaAl 2 O 4 , along with the incorporation of Al 3+ in ABO 3 lattice, contribute to the enhanced d 33 . Notably, the optimized BCTZ ceramics exhibit an exceptionally high d 33 of 650 ± 16 pC N −1 , d 33 * of 1070 pm V −1 , and T C of 96.5 ± 1.0 o C, placing it at the forefront of lead-free BT-based piezoelectric materials. This study underscores the effectiveness of bulk stress engineering via a secondary phase for enhancing lead-free piezoelectric ceramics, paving the way for developing high-performance piezoelectric ceramics suitable for a wide range of temperature applications.