Microwave plasma synthesis of nano‐crystalline YSZ

Abstract Nanocrystalline yttria‐stabilized zirconia (YSZ) powder and compacts have been successfully synthesized by microwave plasma synthesis co‐evaporating Y and Zr precursors from a single source. Both liquid and solid mixtures of chemically homologous precursors were tested. Electron micrographs and X‐ray diffraction studies reveal small crystallites in the range 3–4 nm with a narrow size distribution. Crystallite sizes smaller than 25 nm are preserved even after subsequent annealing at temperatures up to 950 °C. A comparison with other gas‐phase synthesis routes of nanocrystalline YSZ is given. (© 2007 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)