PI017 - thick film texturing to enhance the properties of lead-free ferroelectric materials

Increasing concern surrounding the use of lead in consumer products has stimulated research to identify candidates to replace lead-based materials used in many commercial applications. To be integrated into commercial products; however, a lead-free replacement must be fabricated using common industrial techniques while maintaining dielectric properties equivalent to the current lead-based systems. Texturing has been shown to dramatically enhance the dielectric properties of lead-free materials such that several potential systems are now being considered as replacements for the current lead-based materials. In this work, a large degree of texturing has been introduced to bismuth titanium oxide bulk samples through the process of screen printing large, plate-like seeds in a matrix of equi-axial powder. The degree of texturing achieved gives rise to a high probability of excellent dielectric properties, making textured bismuth titanate a viable replacement for commercial lead-based dielectrics.