Growth and electrical properties of large size Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O3-Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-PbTiO3 crystals prepared by the vertical Bridgman technique

Relaxor-based ferroelectric single crystals Pb(In1/2Nb1/2)O-3-Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O-3-PbTiO3 (PIMNT) have been grown directly from their melt using the vertical Bridgman method, and their boules have reached the size of phi 45x80 mm. The as-grown PIMNT28/40/32 crystals on the (001) cuts exhibit a dielectric constant epsilon similar to 5200, dielectric loss tan delta similar to 0.50%, piezoelectric strain constant d(33)similar to 1700-2200 pC/N, electromechanical coupling factors k(t)similar to 0.61 and k(33)similar to 0.92, coercive field E-c similar to 10.88 kV/cm, remanent polarization P-r similar to 46 mu C/cm(2), Curie temperature T-C similar to 192 degrees C, and rhombohedral to tetragonal phase transition temperature T-rt similar to 119 degrees C. Moreover, their piezoelectric properties show good thermal stability under the heat treatment at 105 degrees C. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.