화학공학소재연구정보센터
Journal of the American Ceramic Society, Vol.83, No.10, 2463-2472, 2000
Effect of acceptors on the segregation of donors in niobium-doped barium titanate positive temperature coefficient resistors
Small amounts of niobium (donor) doping in barium titanate (BaTiO3) cause semiconductivity in this material. When the amount of niobium is increased slightly, the BaTiO3 is converted back to an insulator. This phenomenon is attributed to donor segregation. Such an insulating material can recover its semiconductivity when specific amounts of accepters are introduced. The space-charge segregation theory explains that such accepters can prevent the segregation of donors. Impedance/modulus analysis of BaTiO3 with a slightly increased niobium content and with no or a minimal amount of magnesium (acceptor) show a response of a third resistance-capacitance (RC) network, in addition to the two that have been thought to be caused by the grains and grain boundaries. The response of the third RC network is not observed at greater magnesium concentrations that give a recovery of the semiconductivity. This study suggests that accepters can inhibit the donor segregation.