Structural, Microstructural, and Magnetic Properties of Ca- and Fe-Doped BaTiO 3 Ceramics Prepared via Solid-State Reaction
Abstract
In this work, Ca and Fe co-doped BaTiO3 ceramics with compositions Ba1−xCaxTi1−yFeyO3 with varying compositions (x, y = 1, 1.5, and 2 mol %) were prepared via a solid-state synthesis method and sintered at 1,000°C. This study investigates the influence of A-site (Ca) and B-site (Fe) substitutions on phase structure, microstructure, and magnetic properties at room-temperature. X-ray diffraction confirmed a pure tetragonal perovskite phase without any secondary phases. The diffraction peaks exhibited a systematic shift to higher 2θ angles with increasing temperature because of the substitution of smaller Ca2+ and Fe3+ ions into the BaTiO3 lattice. Scanning electron microscopy analysis reveals significant grain change with increasing co-doping concentration, where the average grain size decreases from approximately 469 nm at 1 % doping to about 171 nm at 2 % doping. Energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS) confirmed the successful incorporation of Ca and Fe into the BaTiO3, confirming their successful substitution into the lattice without detectable impurities. The vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM) data show a weak ferromagnetism at 300 K, with Ms rising from ∼0.033 emu/g at 1 % doping to ∼0.067 emu/g at 2 %, demonstrating enhanced magnetic response at higher doping. These findings demonstrate that Ca/Fe co-doping leads to room-temperature magnetic ordering in BaTiO3 while maintaining its ferroelectric phase, thereby producing a multiferroic material. Overall, this research provides a potential method for creating lead-free multiferroic ceramics aimed at future applications in spintronics and magnetoelectric device technologies.