Lead Zirconium Titanate Nano Ceramic Thin Films and Sensors

Ferroelectric materials show a number of desirable properties such as a switchable polarization, high piezoelectric responses and high dielectric constants. For this reason, they are widely used in devices such as memory elements, ultrasound generators, capacitors, gas igniters and many more. One of the rare examples of a ferroelectric material is Lead Zirconate Titanate (Pb(ZrxTi1-x)O3), which has been studied extensively over the past decade as it is one of the most promising ferroelectric materials with high Curie temperature (Tc). The PZT offers a wide range of properties that make them very attractive candidates for a variety of microelectronic and sensing applications. For the past few decades, the solid solution PbZrO3-PbTiO3, commonly known as PZT, has dominated commercially because of its superior dielectric and piezoelectric properties. In particular, its large piezoelectric response has made PZT one of the most widely used materials for electromechanical applications. The main focus of this book is to investigate the effect of lanthanum doping on the dielectric and ferroelectric properties of lead zirconate titanate for sensors in industrial applications.