Bi(Ni1/2Zr1/2)O3-PbTiO3 relaxor-ferroelectric films for piezoelectric energy harvesting and electrostatic storage

In this Letter, we demonstrated that both a high energy-storage density and a large piezoelectric response can be attained simultaneously in relaxor-ferroelectric 0.4Bi(Ni1/2Zr1/2)O-3-0.6PbTiO(3) films prepared by chemical solution deposition. The as-prepared films had a pure-phase perovskite structure with an excellent crystalline morphology, featuring a moderate relative permittivity (epsilon(r) similar to 800-1100), a low dissipation factor (tan delta < 5%) and strong relaxor-like behavior (gamma = 1.81). An ultra-high energy-storage density of 39.8 J/cm(3) at 2167 kV/cm was achieved at room temperature. Moreover, the 0.4Bi(Ni1/2Zr1/2)O-3-0.6PbTiO(3) films exhibited a considerably large effective piezoelectric coefficient of 83.1 pm/V under substrate clamping, which is comparable to the values obtained for lead zirconate titanate films. Good thermal stabilities in both the energy-storage performance and the piezoelectric properties were obtained over a wide range of temperatures, which makes 0.4Bi(Ni1/2Zr1/2)O-3-0.6PbTiO(3) films a promising candidate for high energy-storage embedded capacitors, piezoelectric micro-devices, and specifically for potential applications in next-generation integrated multifunctional piezoelectric energy harvesting and electrostatic storage systems. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.