Piezoelectric Materials
AimsBefore you startIntroductionThe piezoelectric dipole momentPolarisationAtomic basis of non-spontaneously polarised piezoelectricsSpontaneously polarised piezoelectrics (on the atomic scale)Spontaneously polarised piezoelectrics (on the macro scale)DepolarisationApplications of piezoelectric materialsPZTSummaryQuestionsGoing furtherTLP creditsTLP contentsShow all contentViewing and downloading resourcesAbout the TLPsTerms of useFeedbackCredits Print this page
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PZT
PZT, or Lead Zirconium Titanate, Pb(ZrxTi1-x)O3, is the most widely used piezoelectric. It has the perovskite structure, with Zr and Ti ions randomly placed in the B sites in perovskite.
Its composition is varied by altering the value x. This greatly changes the properties, giving the phase diagram below.
If the PZT is used at 50% Mol PbTiO3, then it is near the rhombohedral/tetragonal phase boundary. This allows it to form many different polarisation states, in the <100> and <111> directions. There are many possible orientations for dipole moments to form, giving easy poling, and making it a useful piezoelectric.