Temperature-dependent dielectric and impedance properties of samarium-doped (Ba1−xSm0.667x)(Zr0.1Ti0.9)O3(0.00 ≤ x ≤ 0.04) ceramics

Solid solution of (Ba 1 - x Sm 0.667 x )(Zr 0.1 Ti 0.9 )O 3 (BSZT); (0.00 ≤ x ≤ 0.04) ceramics are prepared by the conventional solid-state reaction method at the optimized sintering temperature from 1200 ∘ C to 1350 ∘ C. Structural analyzes confirmed the formation of tetragonal phase ( P 4 mm space group). XPS analysis confirmed the Sm-doping at the Ba-site in BZT ceramics. Microstructural analysis showed the reduced grain growth with excessive grain boundaries in Sm-doped BZT ceramics. Low dielectric loss and enhanced dielectric properties were observed for Sm-doped BZT ceramics as compared to the BZT ceramics from RT °C– 400 °C. The diffuse phase transition was confirmed by Curie-Weiss analysis. Enhanced impedance properties and the negative temperature coefficient of resistance (NTCR) behavior was confirmed for BSZT ceramics. The conduction mechanism for BZT and BSZT ceramics for each temperature is mainly governed by the grain boundary effect (confirmed from Nyquist analysis) and the ionized oxygen vacancies. The enhanced dielectric and impedance properties make BSZT ceramics useful for electroceramic applications.