Element Segregation and Electrical Properties of PMN-32PT Grown Using the Bridgman Method

Abstract

A single crystal with nominal composition Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-32PbTiO3 (PMN-32PT) was grown by the Bridgman technique. Crystal orientation was determined using the rotating orientation X-ray diffraction (RO-XRD). Element distribution was measured along different directions using inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). The effect of the element segregation along axial and radial directions on the electrical properties of the PMN-32PT crystal was investigated. It is indicated that the electrical properties of the samples along the axial direction were strongly dependent on the PT (PbTiO3) content. With the increase of the PT content, the piezoelectric coefficient and remnant polarization were improved. Differently, the electrical properties of the samples along the radial direction were mainly determined by the ratio of the Nb and Mg. The reasons for the element segregation and electrical properties varied with the composition were discussed.