Abstract
In this work, (NaBi)(0.5-x)(LiSm)(x)Bi(2)Nb(2)O(9) (NBN-xLS, x = 0.00-0.06) ceramics were fabricated by co-doping of LiSm into Na(0.5)Bi(2.5)Nb(2)O(9). The traditional solid-phase technique was employed for the entire synthesis process. The impact of LiSm doping on the crystal structure, dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties, as well as the underlying conduction mechanisms in the NBN-xLS ceramics, was analyzed systematically. The XRD patterns and the Rietveld refinement revealed that lattice distortion reduced with an increase in the LiSm doping amount. The decrease in lattice distortion significantly contributed to its improved ferroelectric and piezoelectric characteristics. The results showed that the NBN-xLS ceramics were primarily p-type materials due to their bulk-limited conduction, with oxygen holes and vacancies acting as the conducting species, and the appearance of weak ion conduction at high temperatures. The NBN-0.04LS ceramic, in particular, displayed the highest performance, with P(r), T(c), and d(33) values of 9.05 μC/cm(2), 777 °C, and 25.2 pC/N, respectively. Additionally, the ceramic displayed remarkable thermal stability, with its d(33) retaining 95.0% of its original value after annealing at 760 °C. These results demonstrate that LiSm co-doped Na(0.5)Bi(2.5)Nb(2)O(9) ceramics have potential for use in high-temperature sensors.