Effects of chemical compositions on the growth of relaxor ferroelectric Pb(Sc_1/2Nb_1/2)_1-xTi_xO₃ single crystals

The single crystals of complex perovskite Pb(Sc_1/2Nb_1/2)_1-xTi_xO₃ (PSNT) with composition near the morphotropic phase boundary (x = 0.425) were grown by an improved high-temperature solution method. The mixtures of PbO and B₂O₃ with different ratios were used as flux. The variations of chemical compositions, such as the ratios of PSNT vs. flux and PbO vs. B₂O₃, were shown to influence the morphology and quality of the grown crystals. By adjusting the chemical parameters appropriately, the optimum chemical compositions were found to be PSNT/flux = 25/75 and PbO/B₂O₃ = 70/30 (molar ratio), which resulted in the growth of high-quality crystals. The structure of PSNT crystals was characterized by XRD.