Single phase of textured Bi3TiNbO9 (BTNO) ceramics were prepared by a two-step sintering method: synthesizing seed-crystal platelets by molten-salt method with oxide mixture as precursor and then sintering the platelets via hot-pressing method. Molten-salt-synthesized fine BTNO plate-like crystallines (∼400 nm) had an orientation degree of 0.42. After hot-pressed under different conditions, textured BTNO ceramics with different orientation degree were obtained and the orientation degree of textured BTNO ceramics increased with the applied pressure as well as the sintering temperature. X-ray diffraction (XRD) patterns of textured BTNO revealed that the face perpendicular to the hot-pressing axis (⊥) exhibits stronger (0 0 l) diffraction peaks, while the face parallel to the hot-pressing axis (∥) shows stronger (0 2 0)/(2 0 0) and weaker (0 0 l) diffraction peaks, which also can be apparently observed from SEM images. Highly oriented BTNO with a degree of 0.78 was obtained under an applied pressure of 60 MPa at 1050 °C.

This letter focuses on understanding the influences of antiferroelectric–ferroelectric (AFE–FE) phase transition on the ferroelectric electron emission process. The piezoelectric constant and electron emission current of un-prepoled PZT 96.5/3.5 ceramics as a function of emission times were studied. The hysteresis loops of PZT 96.5/3.5 ceramics before and after the electron emission process were presented. The results show that emission currents obtained from PZT 96.5/3.5 ferroelectrics in different phase states were similar. It was difficult to explain the experiment results using the fast AFE–FE phase transition model. Electron emission from PZT 96.5/3.5 ferroelectrics was independent of the AFE–FE phase transition.

Pure perovskite phase Ba0.70Sr0.30TiO3 (BST) powders were successfully synthesized by molten-salt method in NaCl–KCl flux at a low temperature of 850 °C for 2 h, which is 300 °C lower than that of the conventional solid-state reaction. This simple process involved mixing of the raw materials and salts in a certain proportion. Subsequent calcining of the mixtures led to BST powders at 800–900 °C. XRD and SEM techniques are used to characterize the phase and morphology of the fabricated BST powders, respectively.

The FR(LT)–FR(HT) phase transition and pyroelectric properties of porous Zr-rich lead zirconate ceramics were investigated. There was a relatively slight change of dielectric constant and a maximum peak of pyroelectric coefficient during FR(LT)–FR(HT) phase transition. The FR(LT)–FR(HT) and FR(HT)–PC phase transition temperature changed slightly with an increase in porosity The dielectric constant and pyroelectric coefficient at FR(LT)–FR(HT) phase transition temperature decreased with increasing porosity. However, the pyroelectric figure of merit (Fv) increased with an increase in porosity due to a further decrease in dielectric constant with increasing porosity. When porosity exceeded 18.7%, the figure of merit of porous PZT ceramics was higher than that of dense PZT ceramics, which demonstrated figure of merit of PZT ceramics can be enhanced by inducing porosity.

Single phases of Bi3−xLaxTiNbO9 (LBTN-x, x = 0.00–1.00) ceramics were studied by dielectric and Raman spectroscopy. With different La contents (x), LBTN-x ceramics exhibit distinct ferroelectric properties. When x = 0.00, 0.25, 0.50, LBTN-x are normal ferroelectrics, while when x > 0.50 they become relaxor ferroelectrics. Raman spectra were used to explain this relaxor phenomenon, which resulted from the fact that La3+ begin to partly substitute the Bi3+ in Bi2O2 layers when the La content x > 0.50.

Highly (1 1 0)- and (1 0 0)-oriented LaNiO3 (LNO) thin films were successfully grown on Si (1 0 0) substrate using radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering at room temperature (RT). Effects of oxygen partial pressures on the orientation, film composition, surface morphology, and electrical properties of the films were investigated. The nearly complete (1 0 0) orientation was first achieved with oxygen partial pressure beyond 15% in the sputtering gas. The preferred (1 0 0) orientation of growing films is determined by uniform distribution of Ni3+ and La/Ni ratio in the films caused by oxygen during sputtering, as well as the lowest surface energy of the films in the crystalline process. LNO films with controlled orientation have low resistivity of 7.0×10−6 Ω m which is a good basis for integrating ferroelectric capacitors.