Dielectric breakdown behavior of ferroelectric ceramics: the role of pores

Dielectric breakdown is a fundamental issue for ferroelectric ceramics. In this work, a phase-field method is introduced to study the breakdown behavior of ferroelectric ceramics with pores randomly distributed. Effects of the position and the size of pores on the breakdown behavior are analyzed. Results indicate that the position of pores, for example in grains or at grain boundaries, has a significant influence on the breakdown strength of ferroelectric ceramics. The nominal breakdown strength of ferroelectric ceramics with 2 percent pores at grain boundaries is almost 50 percent higher than 2 percent pores in grains. Further, for ferroelectric ceramics with a certain porosity, the smaller the pore size, the higher the breakdown strength. As the nominal pore size decreases from 2.5 to 1, the nominal breakdown strength is enhanced from 0.73 to 1.16. Such results agree well with the widely accepted Gerson-Marshall model and previously published experimental observations.