Ferroelectric thin material of PZT modified with Ni 2+, with a Zr/Ti molar ratio 54/46 was prepared by spray drying the nitrate solution of lead, zirconium ,titanium and nickel in a stoichiometric ratio followed by stirring at 80 oC for 36 hours in 3% v/v PVA. The gel prepared by the PVA method was then calcined at 550 oC. Tetragonal perovskite type phases were identified as being present in the calcined powder. The remanent polarization (Pr) and the coercive field (Ec) were found to be 5.1 μCcm−2 and 46.2 KV/cm, respectively. The d33 value in PZT was found to be 192 × 10−12 C/N at 33 KV/cm at 1.5 atomic percent dopant concentration. SEM micrographs showed the grain size in the range of 0.5 μm. In conclusion, Ni 2+ incorporation in a PZT material contributes to the polarizibility and the spray dried PVA method slightly lowers the Pr and increases the Ec when compared to the sol.gel technique or magnetron sputtering technique.

Keywords: PZT material, piezoelectric characterization, hysteresis loop, XRD characterization, scanning electron microscopy, spray dried -PVA method.