Structural, electrical and ferroelectric characteristics of lead-free ceramic: Bi(Fe0.85Gd0.15)O-3

Structural and electrical properties of Bi(Fe0.85Gd0.15)O-3 ceramics, synthesized via standard solid state reaction technique is reported in this communication. Powder X-ray diffraction analysis reveals the phase transition from rhombohedral to orthorhombic symmetry. The structural study shows the formation of a dense compact high quality sample. The average crystallite size was found to be 38 nm. High dielectric permittivity value is observed with an increasing temperature. Impedance spectroscopy analysis suggests a semiconductor nature and conductivity study confirms the presence of correlated barrier hopping mechanism. The P-E loop study shows an enhancement in remnant polarization. Furthermore, several other interesting features are also reported in this work.