Effect of Ba2+ substitution on the structural and electrical properties of SrBi4Ti4O15 ceramic

We studied the effect of Barium doping on the structural and electrical properties of SrBi4Ti4O15 (SBBT) ferroelectric ceramic. The samples were synthesized by the conventional solid-state reaction method. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman scattering techniques have been employed to characterize the structural property. Scanning electron microscope images showed plate like grain morphology with random orientation of platelets. Lower Curie temperature and enhanced dielectric constant at the transition temperature were clearly observed with increasing the concentration of Ba2+ ion. Detailed studies on the effect of barium on electrical behavior of the SBBT systems have been carried out by the non destructive complex impedance spectroscopy (CIS technique). The Nyquist plots suggest that the grain and grain boundary were responsible in the conduction mechanism of the materials. Ferroelectric measurements revealed that Ba2+ doping leads to reduction in the remnant polarization. The piezoelectric coefficients (d33) of the ceramics were enhanced with Ba2+ doping.