Pb/sub 5/Ge/sub 3/O/sub 11/ ceramic pyroelectric detector

The authors sintered a Pb/sub 5/Ge/sub 3/O/sub 11/ ceramic sample and determined the parameters which are important for assessing its usefulness for pyroelectric detectors of infrared radiation. They prepared the Pb/sub 5/Ge/sub 3/O/sub 11/ ceramic by a normal sintering procedure and determined its chemical composition, microstructure, and preparation conditions. The ceramics were then studied for dielectric and pyroelectric properties and finally made into 25-150- mu m thin flakes as the active elements of a pyroelectric detector. The optimal detector was built using the ceramics with an excess of GeO/sub 2/.