Quantitative Microanalysis of (1–x)Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3×xPbTiO3(PMNT) Ferroelectric Ceramics

Optimized quantitative electron-probe microanalysis was applied for compositional characterization of a ferroelectric ceramic single crystal that was made from the complex perovskite-type solid-solution (1–x)Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3×xPbTiO3(PMNT). Cation concentrations were determined with high accuracy and ultimate relative experimental uncertainty of ≤±1%, showing that the average chemical composition of the crystal corresponds to Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)0.67Ti0.33O3(i.e.,x=0.33), which is close to the morphotropic phase boundary composition. Over the PMNT single crystal slight compositional heterogeneity was measured for concentrations of the perovskite B-site cations Ti4+, Mg2+, and Nb5+, with variations up to ±2.3%, whereas the Pb concentration remained uniform within a variation below ±0.5%.

Effect of the Absorption on the Shape of the Emitted φ(ρz) Depth Distribution for Accurate Quantitative Microanalysis: Evaluation of Analytical Models and Monte Carlo Programs

Extended abstract of a paper presented at Microscopy and Microanalysis 2013 in Indianapolis, Indiana, USA, August 4 – August 8, 2013.