Field-induced domain switching in BaTiO3-based multilayer ceramic capacitors observed by polarized Raman spectroscopy

Polarized Raman spectroscopy was employed to observe field-induced domain switching in BaTiO3-based multilayer ceramic capacitors (MLCCs). Un-polarized Raman intensities of vibration modes A1(TO2,TO3) are decreased with increasing the external field from 0 MV/m to 5 MV/m, which is caused by the decrease of c-domain volumes. This phenomenon can be visualized from the simulated image gained from the mapping results in cross polarization. It shows that the c-domains are switched to the direction of electric field (3.75 MV/m). We also found that the load to imprint Vickers indentation on the polished MLCCs surface can drive the domains out of the plane parallel to internal electrodes into in-plane textures. Meanwhile, the in-plane domains in the investigated area are switched to form a uniform orientation by the local introduced compressive stress. Due to the existence of cracks, the domains near cracks will re-orient and align with the direction of the relative tensile stress, resulting in a different orientation.