Fabrication and characterization of low temperature sintering PMN–PZN–PZT step-down multilayer piezoelectric transformer

For the fabrication as step-down multilayer piezoelectric transformer, piezoelectric properties of Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O3–Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 (PMN–PZN–PZT) ceramics were optimized by ZnO–Li2CO3 (ZL) and Pb3O4 content. Effects of the additions on the structure, bulk density and electrical properties of ceramics were investigated. The results revealed that the proper additions of ZL with Pb3O4 content could modify the electrical properties of the PMN–PZN–PZT ceramics. The composition sintered at 995 °C with 0. 01 wt.% ZL and 0.10 wt.% Pb3O4 content showed higher values, which were listed as follows: d33 = 256 pC/N, Kp = 0.60, Qm = 1910, ɛr = 1032, tan δ = 0.0070 and r = 2.09 Ω. In addition, the step-down piezoelectric transformers with optimized PMN–PZN–PZT composites were fabricated and the characteristics as the output power and resistance loads were measured. Meanwhile, the step-down piezoelectric transformers sintered at 995 °C showed the favorable characteristics with a higher gain G of 0.204 and a lower temperature rise of 6 °C when the output power was 5 W, and the driving frequency were approximately constant (≈126 kHz) when the output power was from 5 to 13 W. Moreover, the maximum efficiency (90.2%) was obtained at load resistance of 10 Ω.