Sintering-driven structural, electrical, ferroelectric, and photoluminescence behaviors of KNN-based ceramics
摘要
K0.47Na0.47Li0.06NbO3 + (0.4 wt%) Bi0.5Na0.5ZrO3 (KNLN + 0.4 wt% BNZ) lead-free ceramics were investigated to understand the influence of sintering temperature on their structural, electrical, ferroelectric, and optical performance. A stable morphotropic phase boundary was observed over a wide sintering range, accompanied by systematic grain growth and enhanced crystallinity. Electrical and dielectric analyses revealed non-Debye relaxation with a broad distribution of relaxation times, indicating complex charge-transport dynamics. The ceramic sintered at 1050 °C exhibited optimal ferroelectric behavior with enhanced polarization and a moderate coercive field, while leakage conduction was dominated by space-charge-limited transport. Photoluminescence studies showed a sintering-induced transition from shallow to deep defect emission, enabling tunable near-infrared luminescence. These results demonstrate that controlled sintering effectively tailors the multifunctional properties of KNLN + 0.4 wt% BNZ ceramics, highlighting their potential for lead-free ferroelectric and optoelectronic applications.