Phase Stability and Transport Properties of (ZrO<sub>2</sub>)<sub>0.91−x</sub>(Sc<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>)<sub>0.09</sub>(Yb<sub>2</sub>O<sub>3</sub>)<sub>x</sub> Crystals (x = 0–0.01)
Mikhail Borik,
Galina Korableva,
Alexey Kulebyakin,
Irina Kuritsyna,
Nataliya Larina,
Elena Lomonova,
Filipp Milovich,
Valentina Myzina,
Polina Ryabochkina,
Nataliya Sidorova,
Nataliya Tabachkova,
Tatyana Volkova
Affiliations
Mikhail Borik
Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 38 Vavilov str., 119991 Moscow, Russia
Galina Korableva
Institute of Solid State Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2 Academician Osip’yan str., 142432 Chernogolovka, Moscow District, Russia
Alexey Kulebyakin
Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 38 Vavilov str., 119991 Moscow, Russia
Irina Kuritsyna
Institute of Solid State Physics of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 2 Academician Osip’yan str., 142432 Chernogolovka, Moscow District, Russia
Nataliya Larina
Institute of Physics and Chemistry, National Research Mordovia State University, 68 Bolshevistskaya str., 430005 Saransk, Republic of Mordovia, Russia
Elena Lomonova
Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 38 Vavilov str., 119991 Moscow, Russia
Filipp Milovich
Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 38 Vavilov str., 119991 Moscow, Russia
Valentina Myzina
Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 38 Vavilov str., 119991 Moscow, Russia
Polina Ryabochkina
Institute of Physics and Chemistry, National Research Mordovia State University, 68 Bolshevistskaya str., 430005 Saransk, Republic of Mordovia, Russia
Nataliya Sidorova
Institute of Physics and Chemistry, National Research Mordovia State University, 68 Bolshevistskaya str., 430005 Saransk, Republic of Mordovia, Russia
Nataliya Tabachkova
Prokhorov General Physics Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 38 Vavilov str., 119991 Moscow, Russia
Tatyana Volkova
Institute of Physics and Chemistry, National Research Mordovia State University, 68 Bolshevistskaya str., 430005 Saransk, Republic of Mordovia, Russia
Phase stability and transport properties of (ZrO2)0.91−x(Sc2O3)0.09(Yb2O3)x crystals (x = 0–0.01) have been studied before and after air annealing at 1000 °C for 400 h. The crystals have been grown by radio frequency (RF) heating in a cold crucible. The microstructure, phase composition, and electrical conductivity of the crystals have been studied using optical microscopy, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, and impedance spectroscopy. Phase stability and degradation of ionic conductivity of the crystals upon long-term high-temperature heat treatment have been discussed. We show that the stabilization of ZrO2 co-doped with 9 mol.% Sc2O3 and 1 mol.% Yb2O3 provides transparent uniform crystals with the pseudocubic t″ phase structure having high phase stability. Crystals of this composition had the highest conductivity in the entire temperature range. Long-term high-temperature annealing of these crystals did not lead to conductivity degradation.
