Structural and Electrical Properties of Bismuth Ferrite Ceramics Sintered in Different Atmospheres

Bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3) ceramics were synthesized by the solid-state reaction method followed by rapid liquid phase sintering. The effect of sintering atmosphere (N2, air and O2) on the structure and electrical properties of BiFeO3 multiferroic ceramics were investigated. XRD analysis revealed that N2 sintering was effective in reducing impurity phases and improving the crystallization behavior. XPS analysis showed that fewer Fe2+ ions but more oxygen vacancies were involved in the N2 sintered ceramics. The SEM investigations suggested that the grain size of the BiFeO3 ceramics sintered in nitrogen are larger than those sintered in air and O2. Electrical measurements revealed that the ceramics sintered in N2 showed lower leakage current, superior dielectric and ferroelectric properties.