Structural and Electrical Properties of Bismuth Ferrite Ceramics Sintered in Different Atmospheres

Bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3) ceramics were synthesized by the solid-state reaction method followed by rapid liquid phase sintering. The effect of sintering atmosphere (N-2, air and O-2) on the structure and electrical properties of BiFeO3 multiferroic ceramics were investigated. XRD analysis revealed that N-2 sintering was effective in reducing impurity phases and improving the crystallization behavior. XPS analysis showed that fewer Fe2+ ions but more oxygen vacancies were involved in the N-2 sintered ceramics. The SEM investigations suggested that the grain size of the BiFeO3 ceramics sintered in nitrogen are larger than those sintered in air and O-2. Electrical measurements revealed that the ceramics sintered in N-2 showed lower leakage current, superior dielectric and ferroelectric properties.