The Synthesis and Domain Structures of Single-Crystal-Like Mesoscale BaTiO 3 Plates.

The (001) plate-like BaTiO₃ piezoelectric micromaterials are synthesized by topochemical microcrystal conversion technique. BaTiO₃ plates with a length of 2~10 μm and thickness of 0.5~1.3 μm are obtained. The dependence of morphology on synthesis conditions is discussed in detail. The crystal symmetry and multiscale domain structures of BaTiO₃ plates are systematically investigated by various characterizations. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Raman spectra analyses demonstrate the tetragonal symmetry of the (001) oriented BaTiO₃ plates at room temperature. The domain configurations of the micron BaTiO₃ are investigated with a polarized light microscope (PLM) and piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM). The single-crystal-like quality and uniformity are supported by PLM observations. More importantly, the classical 90° banded ferroelectric domains of ~125 nm width are observed for the first time in such BaTiO₃ plates. The domain features in the mesoscale BaTiO₃ plate are discussed and compared with its bulk counterparts. The results may provide insights into understanding and designing the mesoscale BaTiO₃ functional materials. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]