Abstract
The electrical properties of piezoelectric ceramics are temperature-dependent, which affects their potential for applications in environments with temperature variation. In this work, a Yb3+ and Tm3+ co-doped Ba0.95Ca0.05Ti0.90Zr0.10O3 (BCTZ-YT) dense lead-free ceramic was prepared using a modified polymeric precursor route. The structural characteristics were investigated by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, and Raman spectroscopy. The temperature-dependence of the ferroelectricity, piezoelectricity, and permittivity was studied in detail. On the basis of structural and electrical measurements at various temperatures, the mechanism of a lack of oxygen vacancies, small structural defects, and small defect dipoles was deduced. This study reveals that the ferroelectricity and piezoelectricity are temperature-dependent, whereas the capacitance is essentially unchanged with increasing temperature owing to the presence of a pure orthorhombic phase. The results of this study are expected to inform future research.