Effects of Nd-ions doping on the phase structure and electrical properties of PSN-PMN-PT ceramics

The 0.29PSN-0.36PMN-0.35PT: x mol Nd2O3 (x = 0, 0.01, 0.015, 0.02, 0.025, and 0.03) piezoelectric ceramics are fabricated manufactured through the high-temperature sintering. Nd3+ doping significantly enhanced the piezoelectric and dielectric properties of PSN-PMN-PT, with the ceramic containing 0.025 mol Nd3+ exhibiting the optimal performance: d33 = 890 pC N-1, epsilon r = 5735, d33* = 1094 pm V-1, Ec = 4.32 kV cm-1, Tm = 136 degrees C, and Pr = 4.32 mu C cm-2. Phase structure analysis and Rayleigh analysis results show that the excellent dielectric and piezoelectric responses of the ceramic are mainly due to the synergistic effect of MPB and the significant improvement of nano-scale local structural heterogeneity. Moreover, the variation rate of d33 remained as low as 5% in the temperature range from room temperature to 120 degrees C. These comprehensive findings demonstrate that PSN-PMN-PT: 0.025 mol Nd2O3 ceramics excel in both their piezoelectric capabilities and thermal stability, thus rendering it an attractive material for high sensitivity sensor.