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Effects of electrostatic field strength on grain‐boundary core structures in SrTiO 3
Author(s) -
Hughes Lauren A.,
Benthem Klaus
Publication year - 2019
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/jace.16344
Subject(s) - materials science , ceramic , grain boundary , electric field , microstructure , electroceramics , sintering , vacancy defect , electrostatics , chemical physics , condensed matter physics , composite material , chemistry , fabrication , medicine , microfabrication , physics , alternative medicine , pathology , quantum mechanics
Understanding interactions between externally applied electric fields and the interfacial structures of nanoscale ceramics is important for controlling their functional properties. In ceramic oxides, functional properties are determined by oxygen vacancy concentrations near and within grain‐boundary core structures. In this study it is shown that the application of electrostatic fields ranging from 0 to nominally 170 V/cm during diffusion bonding of bicrystals alters the atomic and electronic core structures of (100) twist grain boundaries in SrTiO 3 . The applied electric field strength affects local oxygen vacancy concentrations and ordering of the oxygen sublattice. Results for this model system indicate that electrostatic fields applied during ceramic manufacturing can be employed as a new processing parameter to tailor defect structure configurations and obtain unprecedented ceramic microstructures. The ability to manipulate interface configurations with electric fields in the absence of any sintering additives may have far reaching implications for tuning polarization and band structures in electroceramics while avoiding effects of often unwanted dopants.