Top seeded solution growth and characterization of piezo-/ferroelectric (1-x)Pb(Zn1/3Nb2/3)O-3-xPbTiO(3) single crystals

Single crystals of relaxor ferroelectric-based (1 - x)Pb(Zn-1 Nb-3(2) (3))O -3-xPbTiO(3) [or PZNT(1 - x)/x] solid solution system (with x = 4.5%, 6%, 7 %, 10%, 12% and 15%) have been grown from PbO flux by a top seeded solution growth (TSSG) technique. The saturation-growth temperature (T-s) and the a ppropriate cooling rate (0.5-1 degreesC/h) at T-s were determined for each composition. T-s indicates the temperature at which a seed crystal can effe ctively grow from the flux. Under optimum conditions with a solute/solvent ratio PZNT/PbO = 1 : 1 (in weight), or a 50 wt% of flux ratio, perovskite P ZN-PT crystal boules of 35 mm diameter and 14 mm height were successfully g rown using a crucible of 50 ml ((diameter) = 40 mm). The dielectric and fer roelectric properties of the grown crystals were characterized and the crys tal quality assessed. The TSSG technique developed in this work provides an alternative route to the growth of medium to large size PZN-PT crystals fo r a wide range of applications in electro-mechanical transduction. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.