Effect of CuO addition on sintering temperature and piezoelectric properties of 0.05Pb(Al0.5Nb0.5)O3-0.95Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3+0.7 wt.% Nb2O5+0.5 wt.% MnO2 ceramics

Effect of CuO addition on piezoelectric properties of 0.05Pb(Al0.5Nb0.5)O-3-0.95Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O-3+0.7 wt.% Nb2O5 + 0.5 wt.% MnO2 (PAN-PZT) ceramics was studied to decrease the sintering temperature below 900A degrees C for LTCC. The PAN-PZT ceramics sintered at 1200A degrees C had piezoelectric properties of d (33) = 340 pC/N, k (p) = 61.6%, Q (m) = 1,725, and density of 7.5 g/cm(3). The addition of CuO significantly decreased the sintering temperature due to the formation of liquid phase containing a binary combination of PbO and CuO in grain boundary. Piezoelectric properties of d (33) = 361 pC/N, k (p) = 57%, Q (m) = 145, and density of 7.8 g/cm(3) were achieved at sintering temperature of 900A degrees C. The CuO doped PAN-PZT ceramics show high density and d (33) at low sintering temperature though its electromechanical quality factor abruptly decreases due to the CuO additive effect.