• The Korean Journal of Ceramics
• /
• v.1 no.1
• /
• pp.13-20
• /
• 1995

Effects of thermal annealing on the dielectric/piezoelectric properties of $Pb(Zn, Mg)_{1/3}Nb_{2/3}O_3-PbTiO_3$ ceramics (PZMNPT) with Zn/Mg=6/4) were examined across the rhombohedral/tetragonal morphotropic phase boundary (MPB). Both the relative dielectric permittivity ($\varepsilon$r)and the piezoelectric constant($d_33$)/electromechanical coupling constant ($k_p$)were increased by thermal annealing ($800^{\circ}$~$900^{\circ}C$) after sintering at $1150^{\circ}C$ for 1 hr. Based on the dielectric analysis using the series mixing model and the concept of a random distribution of the local Curie points, the observed improvements in the dielectric and piezoelectric properties of PZMN-PT were interpreted in terms of the elimination of PbO-rich amorphous intergranular layers(~1nm) induced by thermal annealing. A concrete evidence of the presence of amorphous grain-boundary layers in the unannealed (as-sintered) specimen was obtained by examining the structure of intergranular region using a TEM.