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Structural–Property Relations in a Reduced and Internally Biased Oxide Wafer (RAINBOW) Actuator Material
Author(s) -
Elissalde Catherine,
Cross L. Eric,
Randall Clive A.
Publication year - 1996
Publication title -
journal of the american ceramic society
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.9
H-Index - 196
eISSN - 1551-2916
pISSN - 0002-7820
DOI - 10.1111/j.1151-2916.1996.tb08935.x
Subject(s) - materials science , cermet , wafer , composite material , microstructure , ceramic , piezoelectricity , oxide , actuator , metallurgy , optoelectronics , electrical engineering , engineering
Reduced and internally biased oxide wafer (RAINBOW) actuators are fabricated by a controlled reduction of Pb(Zr, Ti)O 3 ‐based piezoelectric material. The reduction process results in a conductive layer composed of an interconnected metallic lead phase and refractory oxides (ZrTiO 4 , ZrO 2 , La 2 O 3 , etc.). The nature of the reduction is discovered to be the result of a complex volume change leading to a nanoscale interconnected metallic structure. The distribution of phases within the cermet vary within the thickness of the wafer. Within the piezoelectric ceramic phase, the reduction process modifies the grain‐boundary structure to give two distinct types of fracture: transgranular and intergranular. The complexed microstructures of the RAINBOW actuator materials are discussed in relation to their dielectric and piezoelectric properties.