Nonlinear electrical characteristics and dielectric properties of (Ca, Ta)-doped TiO2 ceramics

TiO2 ceramics doped with 1.0 mol% Ca and different concentrations of Ta were obtained by sintering processing at 1450°C. The microstructures, nonlinear electrical behavior and dielectric properties of the ceramics were investigated. The samples have nonlinear coefficients of α = 2.0–5.0 and ultrahigh relative dielectric constants which is up to 105. Especially, the effects of Ta dopant on the nonlinear electrical characteristics and dielectric properties of the (Ca, Ta)-doped TiO2 ceramics were studied in detail. When the concentration of Ta is 2.0 mol%, the sample exhibits the highest nonlinear coefficient and a comparatively lower dielectric constant. By analogy to a grain-boundary atomic defect model, the effects of Ta and the nonlinear electrical behavior of the TiO2 system were explained.