Effect of sintering aid and repeated sol infiltrations on the dielectric and piezoelectric properties of a PZT composite thick film

Thick PZT films have been produced using a combination of spin coating of a composite slurry and subsequent infiltration of PZT producing sol. The effect of adding a Cu2O–PbO sintering aid and repeated sol infiltrations have been studied with the aim of producing dense PZT films. Relative permittivity has been shown to increase with the addition of sintering aid and increased levels of sol infiltration. Measurements of piezoelectric properties indicate that sol infiltrations have no effect on d33 once a critical density has been exceeded. A sample with approximately 10% closed porosity was obtained following the incorporation of sintering aid and four infiltration steps per layer. This resulted in a mean relative permittivity of approximately 700 and a d33 of 62 pC/N (poling conditions: 8 V/μm for 5 min at 200 °C).