Papers by Author: Hitoshi Matsudo

Abstract: Na_0.5K_0.5NbO₃ (NKN) lead-free piezoelectric ceramics was synthesized by a mixed oxide reaction method. The ceramics was poled under an electric field of 3 kV/mm at 150 °C for 0.5 h. The thermally stimulated depolarization current (TSDC) measurement was carried out at the heating rate of 1 °C/min from room temperature up to 500 °C under an applied voltage of 0 and 0.5 V. The zero-bias TSDC pattern showed broad patterns around at 365 and 375 °C. These temperatures corresponded to the temperatures showing bending points in the Arrhenius plot of TSDC measured under 0.5 V. The oxygen vacancy related electrical conduction was changed at 313 °C at the heating step. The mobile oxygen vacancy in NKN ceramics was piled up under the poling field, and the oxygen vacancy was diffused at temperature higher than 313 °C.

Abstract: Lead-free Na0.5K0.5NbO3 (NKN) piezoelectric ceramics was synthesized by an ordinal solid state reaction method. The ceramics was electrically poled under 3 kV/mm at 150 oC for 30 min. The discharge current-flow was measured for the poled ceramics at the heating rate of 1 oC/min from room temperature up to 500 oC. The two sharp peaks were observed at 209 and 417 oC. These temperatures were corresponded to orthorhombic-tetragonal (TO-T) and tetragonal-cubic (TC) phase transition temperatures, respectively. The sharp peaks were mainly originated from the decrease of the spontaneous polarization. Additionally, the several large broad patterns were also observed at 280, 363 and 375 oC, According to the electromechanical coupling factor kp, which is the indicative parameter of the polarization, mainly decreased at TO-T and TC. These broad peaks were not associated with the spontaneous polarization. The peaks seem to have been originated from the discharge current of the oxygen ion migration on elevating temperature inside the poled NKN ceramics.

Abstract: Na0.5K0.5NbO3 (NKN) lead-free piezoceramics was synthesized by a solid state reaction method. The d.c. conductivitydc and a.c. impedance of the ceramics were measured at the temperature range from 550 oC to room temperature on cooling process. Thedc decreased linearly with decreasing temperature on Arrhenius plot, and the activation energy at the temperature range from 450 to 390 oC and from 390 to 160 oC were 0.65 and 0.90 eV, respectively. The slope change at 390 oC corresponded to Curie temperature of NKN ceramics so that the carriers of these thermally active conductions were alkali metal or oxygen ions in the NKN crystal structure. The impedance of NKN ceramics at high temperature showed two relaxation processes at high and low frequencies, and the leak current was mainly attributed by the conduction through the grain boundary with low impedance value on lower frequency relaxation.