Electrical properties of niobium doped barium bismuth-titanate ceramics

BaBi4Ti4–5/4xNbxO15 (BBNTx, x = 0, 0.05, 0.15, 0.30) ceramics have been prepared by solid state method. XRD data indicate the formation of single-phase-layered perovskites for all compositions. SEM micrographs suggest that the grain size decreases with Nb doping. The effect of niobium doping on the dielectric and relaxor behavior of BaBi4Ti4O15 ceramics was investigated in a wide range of temperatures (20–777 °C) and frequencies (1.21 kHz to 1 MHz). Nb doping influences Tc decrease as well as the decrease of dielectric permittivity at Curie temperature. At room temperature, undoped BaBi4Ti4O15 exhibits dielectric constant of ∼204 at 100 kHz, that slightly increases with Nb doping. The conductivity of BBNT5 ceramics is found to be lower than that of other investigated compositions. The value of activation energy of σDC was found to be 0.89 eV, 1.01 eV, 0.93 eV and 0.71 eV for BBT, BBNT5, BBNT15 and BBNT30, respectively.

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► Pure and doped BaBi4Ti4O15 were prepared via the solid-state reaction method.
► The grain size was suppressed in Nb-doped samples.
► The diffuseness of the dielectric peak increased with dopant concentration.
► Niobium affected on relaxor behavior of barium bismuth titanate ceramics.
► The conductivity change was noticed in doped samples.