Morphotropic NaNbO3-BaTiO3-CaZrO3 lead-free ceramics with temperature-insensitive piezoelectric properties

A morphotropic NaNbO3-based lead-free ceramic was reported to have temperature-insensitive piezoelectric and electromechanical properties (d33 = 231 pC/N, kp = 35%, Tc = 148 °C, and low-hysteresis strain ∼0.15%) in a relatively wide temperature range. This was fundamentally ascribed to the finding of a composition-axis vertical morphotropic phase boundary in which coexisting ferroelectric phases are only compositionally driven and thermally insensitive. Both phase coexistence and nano-scaled domain morphology deserved well enhanced electrical properties, as evidenced by means of synchrotron x-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Our study suggests that the current lead-free ceramic would be a very promising piezoelectric material for actuator and sensor applications.