Unveiling the electrical and energy storage performance of SrBi4Ti4O15 for device applications

Abstract

This research focuses on utilizing ceramic technology and traditional methods to create electronic components with high energy storage density in compact sizes. The bismuth layer-structured ferroelectric material SrBi₄Ti₄O₁₅ (SBT) is synthesized through a solid-state reaction process. The crystal structure of the material was analyzed using X-ray powder diffraction, indicating orthorhombic symmetry. Rietveld refinement yielded lattice parameters of a = 5.4280 Å, b = 5.4280 Å, and c = 40.9400 Å. The SEM micrograph shows a homogeneous arrangement of the grains in the sample, with the grain size calculated to be 120 μm. This study delves into the intriguing properties of our synthesized material by examining its dielectric behaviour, modulus, impedance, and conductivity. Our comprehensive studies cover a captivating temperature range from 25 °C to 500 °C and frequencies from 1 kHz to 1 MHz. The conductivity plot follows Jonscher's power law, indicating the presence of the NSPT and CBH conduction mechanisms in the material. The role of grains and grain boundaries in the electrical properties of the material is confirmed through the Nyquist plot, demonstrating the NTCR behaviour of the sample. The reduction in activation energy with increasing frequency in the AC conductivity plot, along with the indication of a non-Debye relaxation mechanism in the KWW fitting of the modulus plot, supports the hopping process in the material. The hysteresis loop was used to calculate the efficiency and maximum power density (P_dmax), which came out to be 62% and 12.9662 MW cm⁻³, respectively. These findings imply that the material is appropriate for applications requiring high-performance energy storage capacitors.