Effects of Cu behavior in PZT sintered at different atmospheres

Abstract

Multilayer PZT actuator is in demand for its high responsibility. In case of using Cu inner electrodes, Cu diffuses to PZT materials. The diffused Cu has drastic effects on the piezoelectric property. Therefore, it is important to investigate about Cu behavior in PZT. In this study, we found that Cu behaves differently by the sintering atmosphere. Air atmosphere causes larger grain size and higher piezoelectric property. On the other hand, the reduced atmosphere causes smaller grain size and lower piezoelectric property. These phenomena come from the Cu location in PZT.