Low-firing Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3-based multilayer ceramic actuators using Ag inner electrode

Abstract

We investigated the low firing of Li 2CO 3 added 0.2Pb(Mg 1/3Nb 2/3)O3 - 0.3Pb(Fe 1/2Nb 1/2) - 0.5Pb(Zr 0.475Ti 0.525)O 3 (PMNPFN-PZT) ceramics and multilayer actuators (MLAs) using Ag inner electrodes. It was found that 0.1 wt% Li 2CO 3 was quite effective in lowering the sintering temperature of PMN-PFN-PZT ceramics from 1,100°C down to 900°C without deteriorating their piezoelectric ceramics (d 33 = 425 pC/N and k p = 61.9%). However, excess Li 2CO 3 up to 0.3 wt% brings about unwanted problems such as the formation of a LiPbO 2 secondary phase and subsequent degradation in the piezoelectric properties. Using 0.1 wt% Li 2CO 3 added PMN-PFN-PZT ceramics, MLAs with Ag inner electrodes were successfully fabricated, resulting in a normalized strain of 580 pm/V at an electric field of 1.5 kV/mm. © 2011 KIEEME.