Analysis of interfaces between ferroelectric ceramics and electrode materials based on wetting experiments

Abstract

For ferroelectric applications, the electrode problems are very important. The first approach will be described based on wetting experiments such as Ag on BaTiO₃, Cu on PZT, In on PLZT, and other metals on electronic ceramics using a surface tension measuring equipment through photographs at high temperature in order to measure the contact angles in vacuum and Ar atmospheres. The effects of glass frit addition on the bonding properties were also examined and discussed. An example of the analysis of the crosssectional interfaces was made using an EPMA and the bonding mechanism was discussed based on the wettability, the chemical reaction and others.

Also, ceramic-ceramic mutual wettability was examined for some systems such as BaTiO₃-Bi₂(TiO₃)₃, Ag-Ba₂T₁Cu₃O_7-x , BaTiO₃-Pb(Mg_1/3 Nb_2/3)O₃ and others. The experimental results were compared to the two phase mixing sintered composites and two-phase mixing patterns classified into (1) “Wetting Two-Phase Mixing Pattern” and “Non-Wetting Two-Phase Mixing Pattern” with discussion of the examples.

Key Words:

• wetting
• contact angle
• electrode
• interface