SrBi/sub 2/Ta/sub 2/O/sub 9/ ceramics prepared by a new precipitation method

Ferroelectric ceramics of the layered perovskite, strontium bismuth tantalate, SrBi/sub 2/Ta/sub 2/O/sub 9/ (SBT), have been prepared in pure phase by a new soft chemistry route, namely a precipitation method using polyethylene glycol-200 (PEG200) as solvent. The effects of sintering temperature and time on the quality and properties of SBT ceramics were studied. The SBT ceramics synthesized using this new technique and sintered at 1200/spl deg/C for 8 hrs show a plate-like microstructure with preferential grain orientation along the [001_0_] direction, a relative density, D = 85 %, a dielectric constant, /spl epsi/' = 235 and a remnant polarization of 3.7 /spl mu/C/cm/sup 2/ at room temperature, and a maximum dielectric constant /spl epsi/'max of 850 at T/sub C/ = 330/spl deg/C.