Chemical changes of PNN ceramics induced by ion bombardment and characterized by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

Abstract

In this work, the surface composition and chemistry of perovskite PNN ceramics obtained from a columbite precursor were investigated using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The PNN ceramics were bombarded with argon ions, after which the chemical state and composition were determined. The results show that the sputtering technique caused substantial changes in the chemical states of Pb and Nb, but no detectable change in the chemical state of Ni. Notably, ion bombardment led to the removal of absorbed oxygen species. Furthermore, the chemical composition of the PNN ceramics was altered by the sputtering process, where decreases in the atomic percentages of Pb and oxygen were observed, while increases in the atomic percentages of Ni and Nb were observed. © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.