Structural, dielectric, and electrical properties of 3 mol% Ce-doped BaTiO3 ceramics

Abstract

The influence of 3 mol% cerium (Ce) in addition to the barium titanate (BaTiO₃) on the structural, dielectric, and electrical behavior of BaTiO₃ ceramics was examined using samples prepared through the conventional solid-state route. An X-ray diffraction was used to confirm the formation of a pure tetragonal perovskite phase, while a slight reduction in the tolerance factor suggested minor lattice distortion arising from Ce incorporation. From the dielectric measurements, the Curie temperature was shifted to around 60°C, with a high permittivity value of approximately 7267 at 1 kHz, indicating that Ce doping effectively modifies the ferroelectric ordering within the lattice. The Arrhenius plot with an activation energy of 0.49 eV and the temperature-dependent conductivity shows that it may correspond from migration of doubly ionized oxygen vacancies. Impedance analysis shows a semicircular arc, that may correspond to thermally activated relaxation. Result from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) showed well-developed grains with an average size of about 4.26 µm, suggesting Ce-induced grain coarsening beyond its solubility limit. In overall, the aliovalent substitution of Ce³⁺ for Ba²⁺ was found to influence defect chemistry and charge-compensation mechanisms, providing a route to tune both dielectric and electrical characteristics. These findings demonstrate that Ce-doped BaTiO₃ offers promising potential as a lead-free ferroelectric material for capacitor and sensor technologies.