Effect of rare earth (La, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Dy, Er and Yb) ion substitutions on the microstructural and electrical properties of sol-gel grown PZT ceramics

Polycrystalline samples of (Pb0.92R0.08)(Zr0.6Ti0.4)0.98O3 (R=La, Nd, Sm, Eu, Gd, Dy, Er and Yb) (PRZT) were sol-gel grown. The structural and microstructural properties of the compounds were examined through XRD, SEM, and TEM techniques. Detail analyses of the dielectric constant at different temperatures (30–430 °C) at 104 Hz suggest that the compounds (except Yb doped PZT) undergo diffuse phase transition of the second order. Piezoelectric and polarization studies provided some interesting physical parameters useful for device applications.