Microstructure and Electrical Properties of Vanadium doped Bi4Ti3O12 Layer-Stuctured Ferroelectric Ceramics

A series of ferroelectric BIT ceramics with various V2O5 dopants were prepared by conventional solid-state route. The influence of V2O5 dopant on microstructural and electrical properties of BIT ceramic were investigated in detail, which were examined by XRD, Raman spectra and P-E hysteresis loops, etc. X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy was used to examine the chemical state of the vanadium ions inside the BIT ceramics. Vanadium added to the BIT system can enhance the ferroelectric property due to the decrease of the concentration of space charge occurred during calcinations and weaken the polarization property due to the decrease of grain size and the change of chemical valence for vanadium ion. The BIT ceramic with 3 mol% V2O5 dopant exhibits a remnant polarization 2Pr of 25.6 μC/cm2, and coercive field Ec of 47.4 KV/cm. Besides, the conductivity of BTV was obviously lower than that of the undoped BIT, which was accord with donor dopants decreasing the conductivity of a material with a p-type mechanism.