Abstract:
The disclosed invention relates to unsupported, anisotropically shaped, cubic SrTiO 3  single crystal particles and their method of manufacture. The particles have a rectangular face and measure about 10-40 micron in edge length, and about 2-5 micron in thickness. The anisotropically shaped, cubic SrTiO 3  single crystal particles are made by reacting tabular Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  with TiO 2  in the presence of a molten alkali salt.

Description:
This application claims priority to provisional application Ser. No. 60/131,316, filed Apr. 27, 1999. 
    
    
     FIELD OF THE INVENTION 
     The invention generally relates to ferroelectric single crystal materials. More particularly, the invention relates to SrTiO 3  single crystal materials. 
     BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 
     Polycrystalline ceramics and films which have preferred crystalline orientation exhibit unique and improved properties, e.g., piezoelectric, ferroelectric, mechanical, thermal, and magnetic properties compared to materials which have random crystalline orientation. 
     Various processing techniques have been used to fabricate polycrystalline ceramics and films which have preferred orientation. Examples of these techniques include templated grain growth, sol-gel processing, pulsed-laser deposition, and RF magnetron sputtering. To form oriented polycrystalline ceramics and films, the correct selection of the substrate material is critical, regardless of the processing technique. In general, single crystal seeds or substrates which have crystal structure and lattice parameters similar to the targeted materials are employed. 
     Anisotropically shaped single-crystal particles of materials which have a cubic crystal structure are of considerable interest due to potentially favorable properties of such materials. However, due to crystal symmetry, materials which have a cubic crystal structure typically grow as equiaxed crystals. Anisotropically shaped single crystal particles which have a cubic crystal structure thus have not been available. 
     A need therefore exists for anisotropically shaped single crystal particles which have a cubic crystal structure and which can serve as templates for growth of oriented crystalline ceramics and films such as those which have the perovskite crystal structure. 
    
    
     BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE FIGURES 
     FIG. 1 is a scanning electron micrograph of tabular Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  particles synthesized from reaction of SrCO 3  and TiO 2  in KCl at 1300° C. for 4 hours. 
     FIG. 2 is an x-ray diffraction pattern of the tabular Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  particles of FIG.  1 . 
     FIGS.  3 ( a )-( d ) are x-ray diffraction patterns of SrTiO 3  formed on the tabular Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  particles of FIG. 1 by reaction of Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  particles and TiO 2  in KCl at various firing temperatures. 
     FIGS.  4 ( a )-( c ) are micrographs of SrTiO 3  film formed on the surface of the tabular Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  particles of FIG. 1 by reaction of Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  particles and TiO 2  in KCl at various firing temperatures. 
     FIGS.  5 ( a )-( c ) are high resolution lattice images of SrTiO 3  film formed on the surface of the tabular Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  particles of FIG. 1 when reacted with TiO 2  in KCl at 1000° C. for 1 hour. 
    
    
     SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION 
     Unsupported, anisotropically shaped single-crystal particles of cubic SrTiO 3  are obtained by epitaxial growth on tabular tetragonal Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7 . The micron size, anisotropically shaped SrTiO 3  single crystal particles have rectangular faces which measure about 10 micron to about 40 micron in edge length, and about 2 micron to about 5 micron thick. The aspect ratio of length to width of the particles may vary from about 1 to about 20. 
     The micron size anisotropically shaped SrTiO 3  particles are obtained by molten salt synthesis of tabular Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  particles, followed by reaction of the tabular Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  particles and TiO 2  in molten KCl. During the reaction, the anisotropically shaped single crystal SrTiO 3  forms on the surface of the tabular Sr 2 Ti 3 O 7 . The single crystal SrTiO 3  particles form in an epitaxial relationship with the tabular Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  wherein the [001] of SrTiO 3  is parallel to the [001] of Sr 2 Ti 3 O 7 . Reaction of the tabular Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  particles and TiO 2  in molten KCl is driven to completion to yield unsupported, anisotropically shaped SrTiO 3  particles. 
     The unsupported anisotropically shaped SrTiO 3  particles may be used to synthesize highly oriented ceramics and films having the perovskite crystal structure and having enhanced electrical properties. 
     In one aspect, the invention provides a method of manufacture of oriented, cubic (Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 )TiO 3  grains. The method entails forming a mixture of Na 2 CO 3 , Bi 2 O 3 , BaCO 3 , and TiO 2 , preferably in the presence of a polar alcohol solvent to form a slurry. The mixture is combined with a binder, preferably in the presence of an organic solvent such as toluene to form a blend. Anisotropically shaped, single crystal SrTiO 3  platelets are added to the blend. The blend is cast, dried and fired produce oriented, cubic (Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 )TiO 3 . Preferably, firing is performe at about 1150-1250° C. for about 8 hours in oxygen. 
     In another aspect, the invention provides a method of manufacture of textured BaTiO 3 . The method entails treating BaTiO 3  powder with a strong acid such as nitric acid, recovering the BaTiO 3  powder and washing the BaTiO 3  powder in a an alcohol such as isopropanol. The washed BaTiO 3  powder is dried, preferably at about 110° C. Thereafter, the BaTiO 3  powder is mixed with polymeric binder, preferably in the presence of an organic solvent such as toluene to form a slurry. The anisotropically shaped, single crystal SrTiO 3  platelets are then added. The resulting SrTiO 3 /BaTiO 3  slurry is cast, heated to remove the polymeric binder, and sintered to yield of textured BaTiO 3 . Preferably, sintering is performed at 1350-1370° C. for about 3 hours in air. 
     Having summarized the invention, the invention will now be discussed in detail below by reference to the following detailed description and non-limiting examples. 
     DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION 
     Synthesis of Micron Size Tabular Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  Particles 
     In manufacture of anisotropic single crystal SrTiO 3 as described below, SrCO 3 , TiO 2 , Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7 , and salts such as KCl which are employed are about 99.9% pure. Generally, however, these reactants or precursors thereof can be of commercial or technical grade. 
     The reactant oxides or precursors employed typically have a particle size range from submicron up to about 100 microns. The reactant oxide powders or precursors thereof preferably are free of large, hard aggregates of about 100 microns or more in size. 
     Tabular Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  particles measuring about 100 microns in length and about 10 microns in thickness, preferably about 10 microns to about 40 microns in length and about 2 microns to about 5 microns in thickness are produced. The aspect ratio may range from about 1 to about 20, preferably about 10. 
     In order to prepare the tabular Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  particles, SrCO 3  and TiO 2  powders, each have a particle size of about 10 microns to about 1 microns, preferably about 1.0 microns, are mixed by ball milling with plastic ball media in a polar solvent such as ethanol, isopropanol, acetone, and methanol. The SrCO 3  and TiO 2  may be used in molar ratios of SrCO 3 ::TiO 2  of from about 3.0:2.0 to about 3.3:2.0, preferably about 3.2:2.0. Mixing is continued for a time sufficient to achieve a homogenous mixture, typically 8 hours. After completion of mixing, a salt is added to the slurry, and mixed for a time sufficient to achieve a homogenous mixture, typically about 3 hours. The salt is water soluble, has solubility for SrO and TiO 2 , does not become incorporated into the crystals of the product phase is added to the slurry, and has low volatility. The amount of salt added is about 50% to about 150%, preferably 100% of the combined weight of the SrCO 3  and TiO 2  reactants. Examples of salts which may be employed include KCl, NaCl, and mixtures thereof, preferably KCl. 
     The above formed slurry is dried in air between about 25° C. to about 90° C., preferably about 85° C. The resulting dried powder is placed in a crucible such as alumina or platinum, preferably alumina. Preferably, an alumina lid is placed on top of the alumina crucible, and the edges of the lid are sealed with alumina cement to prevent evaporation of the salt. The powder in the sealed crucible is fired at about 1200° C. to about 1400° C., preferably 1300° C., for about 1 hour to about 8 hours, preferably about 4 hours. During firing, the heating rate is about 2° C./min to about 40° C./min., preferably 10° C./min. After completion of firing, the powder in the sealed crucible is cooled to room temperature at the rate of about 1° C./min to about 100° C./min., preferably about 3-5° C./min. The resulting tabular Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  particles are washed with deionized water at a temperature of about 25° C. to about 99° C., preferably about 90° C., to remove about 98% or more of the salt, preferably about 99.9% or more of the salt. 
     Synthesis of Epitaxially Grown Tabular SrTiO 3  Particles 
     The tabular Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  particles produced as described above may be employed in a wide range of sizes and aspect ratios for reaction with TiO 2 to produce anisotropically shaped, single crystal SrTiO 3 . Any polymorph of TiO 2  may be used, preferably, fumed TiO 2 . 
     The tabular Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  particles are combined with TiO 2 , preferably in a polar solvent such as ethanol to produce a slurry. The amounts of Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  and TiO 2  are sufficient to yield a molar ratio of Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  to TiO 2  of about 1:1 to about 1:1.3, preferably about 1.0:1.1. The slurry is mixed by a magnetic stirrer for about 0.5 hour to about 10 hour, preferably about 1 hour. After completion of mixing, a water soluble salt that has solubility for SrO and TiO 2 , has low volatility, and does not become incorporated into the crystals of the product phase is mixed with the Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  and TiO 2 . Preferably, the salt is added to a slurry of the Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  to TiO 2 . Examples of useful salts include KCl, NaCl or mixtures thereof, preferably KCl. The amount of salt added is about 50% to about 150%, preferably about 100%, of the combined weight of Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  and TiO 2 . 
     The resulting slurry of Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7 , TiO 2  and salt is dried at about 25° C. to about 75° C., preferably about 65° C., for about 1 hour to about 10 hours, preferably about 5 hours. The resulting dried powder is fired at a heating rate of about 1° C./min to about 40° C./min, preferably about 10° C./min, in an alumina crucible, preferably a covered alumina crucible, to about 700° C to about 1400° C., preferably about 1200° C., for about 60 to about 480 minutes, preferably about 240 min. After completion of firing, the powder in the crucible is cooled to room temperature at about 1° C./min to about 40° C./min., preferably about 5° C./min. The salt is removed from the fired product by washing with deionized water at a temperature of about 25° C. to about 90° C., preferably about 90° C., to remove about 98% or more of the KCl, preferably about 99.9% or more of the KCl. 
     The anisotropically shaped, single crystal SrTiO 3  forms on the surface of the tabular Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  particles by epitaxial growth. To enable epitaxial growth, the lattice mis-match between the Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  substrate and the growing SrTiO 3  typically is less than about 15%. Preferably, the difference in lattice parameters between the SrTiO 3  and the substrate is as small as possible. 
     EXAMPLES 
     Example 1 
     Tabular Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  particles are prepared by ball milling SrCO 3  and TiO 2  powders with plastic ball media in ethanol. The SrCO 3  and TiO 2  are used in a molar ratio of SrCO 3 ::TiO 2  of 3.2:2.0. Mixing is continued for 8 hours. After completion of mixing, KCl in an amount equal to the combined weight of SrCO 3  and TiO 2  is added to the slurry, and mixed for 3 hours. 
     The resulting slurry is dried in air at 65° C. for 5 hours. The resulting dried powder is sealed in an alumina crucible and fired at 1300° C. 4 hours. During firing, the heating rate is 10° C./min. After completion of firing, the powder in the sealed crucible is cooled to room temperature at the rate of 3-5° C./min. 
     The tabular Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  particles are separated from the resulting solidified mass by repeated washing with deionized water at 90° C. to dissolve the KCl. Washing is repeated to remove 99.9% or more of the KCl. The tabular Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  particles measure 8-18 micron edge length and 2-5 micron thickness as shown in FIG.  1 . The tabular Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  particles have enhanced (001) peak intensity as shown in the X-ray diffraction pattern of FIG. 2 as taken by Scintag diffractometer using CuKα radiation. The developed plane of the Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  particles corresponds to the {001} plane of Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7 . The lattice parameters of the a and c-axis of the Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  particles are 0.3899 and 2.0328 nm respectively. 
     The tabular Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  particles produced above are mixed with TiO 2  in a 1.0:1.1 molar ratio in ethanol by a magnetic stirrer for 1 hour. KCl in an amount equal to the combined weight of the Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  particles and TiO 2  is added to the slurry. The slurry then is dried at 65° C. for 5 hours. The resulting dried powder is placed in a covered alumina crucible and fired at the heating rate of 10° C./min to 1200° C., and maintained at 1200° C. for 4 hour. After firing, the powder is cooled at 5° C./min to room temperature. The reaction between Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  and TiO 2  in the KCl goes to completion under these conditions to yield a fired product that includes anisotropically shaped, single crystal SrTiO 3  in the molten KCl. The fired product is cooled to room temperature, and treated with deionized water at 90° C. to remove the KCl salt to yield unsupported, anisotropically shaped, single crystal SrTiO 3  particles. 
     Example 2 
     The procedure of example 1 is repeated except that the mixture of tabular Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  particles and TiO 2  is heated at 1200° C. for 1 hour. 
     Example 3 
     The procedure of example 1 is repeated except that the mixture of tabular Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  particles and TiO 2  is heated at 1000° C. for one hour. 
     Example 4 
     The procedure of example 1 is repeated except that the mixture of tabular Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  particles and TiO 2  is heated at 800° C. for one hour. 
     The x-ray diffraction patterns of the anisotropically shaped, single crystal SrTiO 3  formed according to the above examples is shown in FIGS.  3 ( a )-( d ). As shown therein, the SrTiO 3  diffraction peak heights increase with increasing firing temperature. FIGS.  3 ( a )-( d ) show that between 1000° C. and 1200° C. that SrTiO 3  forms rapidly. In addition, FIGS.  3 ( a )-( d ) show that the lattice parameters of the tabular Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  and the anisotropically shaped, single crystal SrTiO 3  are stable over a wide range of temperatures as shown in Table 1. 
     
       
         
               
               
               
               
               
             
           
               
                 TABLE 1 
               
               
                   
               
               
                   
                 Firing 
                 Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7   
                 Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7   
                 SrTiO 3   
               
               
                 Example 
                 Conditions 
                 a (nm) 
                 b (nm) 
                 a(=b=c) (nm) 
               
               
                   
               
             
             
               
                 1 
                 1200° C. for 4 
                 — 
                 — 
                 0.3905 ± 0.0003 
               
               
                   
                 hours 
               
               
                 2 
                 1200° C. for 1 
                 0.3908 ± 0.0013 
                 2.0295 ± 0.0054 
                 0.3905 ± 0.0003 
               
               
                   
                 hour 
               
               
                 3 
                 1000° C. for 1 
                 0.3899 ± 0.0002 
                 2.0341 ± 0.0009 
                 0.3904 ± 0.0003 
               
               
                   
                 hour 
               
               
                 4 
                 800° C. for 1 
                 0.3899 ± 0.0002 
                 2.0344 ± 0.0008 
                 0.3904 ± 0.0001 
               
               
                   
                 hour 
               
               
                   
               
             
          
         
       
     
     Anisotropically shaped, single crystal SrTiO 3 , as shown in FIG.  4 ( a ), forms during the initial stage of the reaction of Example 3 on the surface of the tabular Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  particles. When fired as in Example 2, whiskers in the Sr—Ti—K—O system (FIG. 4 ( b )), and acicular TiO 2  form. The whiskers and the acicular TiO 2  are identified by scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis. The micrograph of FIG.  4 ( a ) was obtained by embedding of the Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  particles in epoxy and polishing. 
     When fired at 1200° C. for 4 hours as in Example 1, the whiskers disappear, and anisotropically shaped, single crystal SrTiO 3  particles having 10-20 micron edge length and 2 micron thickness are formed as shown in FIG.  4 ( b ). XRD shows strong peak intensity of the (200) reflection (FIG.  3 ( d )). This shows that anisotropically shaped, single crystal SrTiO 3  particles develop their major faces parallel to the (001) plane of SrTiO 3 . The measured lattice parameter of the a-axis of the anisotropically shaped, single crystal SrTiO 3  particles having the cubic, perovskite crystal structure is 0.3905 nm. 
     A 200 kV cold field emission Hitachi HF-2000 transmission electron microscope is used to evaluate the orientation relationship between the growing layer of the anisotropically shaped, single crystal SrTiO 3  and the Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  template particles. 
     The epitaxial relationship between the formed SrTiO 3  and the tabular Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  particles is confirmed by high resolution lattice imaging of the interface of SrTiO 3 —Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  product and from electron diffraction patterns of selected areas of the SrTiO 3 -Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  product. 
     The high resolution lattice image of the interface between the anisotropically shaped, single crystal SrTiO 3  growing on the Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  (FIG.  5 ( a )) is taken with the incident electron beam parallel to the [110] direction. FIG.  5 ( a ) shows that the interface plane between the growing the anisotropically shaped, single crystal SrTiO 3  and the Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  substrate is parallel to the {001} plane of the lattice structure of the anisotropically shaped, single crystal SrTiO 3  and Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7 , and is perpendicular to the [001] direction of the tetragonal Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7 . FIG. 5 a  also shows that the interface between the growing, anisotropically shaped, single crystal SrTiO 3  and Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  is abrupt and is free of secondary phase formation. 
     FIGS.  5 ( b ) and ( c ) are electron diffraction patterns taken of the growing the anisotropically shaped, single crystal SrTiO 3  and the Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  tabular particle in the corresponding area near the interface. FIGS.  5 ( b ) and ( c ) show that the [110] of the growing SrTiO 3  is parallel to the [110] of Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  and that [001] of the growing SrTiO 3  is parallel to the [001] of Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7 . This confirms that anisotropically shaped, single crystal SrTiO 3  forms epitaxially on the c plane of the tabular Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  particles. 
     Tabular Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  having a layered perovskite-type structure is the preferred substrate for use in the manufacture of anisotrogically shaped, single crystal SrTiO 3  having the perovskite crystal structure. The tabular Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  particles have a Ruddlesden-Popper type structure, and lattice parameters of a=0.390 and c=2.038 nm. The lattice structure on the {001} plane of Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  is similar to that on the {100} plane of SrTiO 3 , and the lattice parameters on those planes are equal (0.390 nm). Materials other than tabular Sr 3 Ti 2 O 7  which may be used as substrates include those which have a perovskite structure, or cubic materials which are anisotropic in shape. Examples of these materials include BaTiO 3 , Bi 4 Ti 3 O 12 , PbTiO 3  and MgO. 
     The stability of the anisotropically shaped, single crystal SrTiO 3  particles produced above is evaluated by placing the anisotropically shaped, single crystal SrTiO 3  particles on a platinum sheet and firing at 1200° C. for 60 minutes in air. The morphology of the anisotropically shaped, single crystal SrTiO 3  particles, as determined by scanning electron microscopy, did not change significantly. 
     The anisotropically shaped, single crystal SrTiO 3  particles having the perovskite single crystal structure produced by the invention advantageously may be employed to achieve significant improvements in electrical materials. For example, these SrTiO 3  particles may be used as templates for deposition of oriented films of materials such as ceramics, metals, and composites. 
     The anisotropically shaped, cubic, single-crystal SrTiO 3  particles of the invention may be used as templates to make oriented polycrystalline ceramics from a variety of ferroelectric materials such as (Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 )TiO 3 , BaTiO 3 , and SrTiO 3 . The anisotropically shaped, single crystal SrTiO 3  particles of the invention also may be used to produce grain-oriented polycrystalline ceramics which have a cubic, perovskite-type crystal structure and which exhibit single crystal-like properties. These uses of the anisotropically shaped, cubic single crystal SrTiO 3  particles is illustrated below by the following non-limiting examples: 
     Examples 5-7 
     Oriented, Cubic (Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 )TiO 3  grains on Anisotropic, Cubic SrTiO 3  Particles 
     2.09 gms Na 2 CO 3 , 9.17 gms Bi 2 O 3 , 0.90 gms BaCO 3 , and 6.66 gms TiO 2  are milled in isopropyl alcohol using plastic ball media for 8 hours. The resulting slurry is dried at 65° C. for 5 hours to produce a dried powder. The dried powder is fired at 800° C. for 2 hours. The fired material is ball milled in isopropyl alcohol using ZrO 2  ball media for 8 hours. The resulting milled powder is blended with 8 gms Ferro acrylic binder system 73210 and milled in toluene with ZrO 2  ball media for 24 hours. The resulting slurry is placed into a beaker to which 1.1 gms of the anisotropically shaped, single crystal SrTiO 3  platelets produced as in Example 1 above are added and then mixed for 12 hours with a magnetic stirrer to disperse the SrTiO 3  particles in the slurry. The slurry is tape cast onto a glass substrate using a commercially available doctor blade with a gap of 200 microns at 5 cm/sec to produce a thickness of 50 micron. The tape is dried at 25° C. to remove volatiles. The tape is cut into squares, stacked and laminated under a pressure of 4000 psi to produce a laminate. After binder burnout at 600° C., the laminate is sintered at 1200° C. for 8 hours in oxygen. Scanning electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction show that oriented, (Bi 0.5 Na 0.5 )TiO 3  having a cubic, perovskite crystal structure forms on the SrTiO 3  particles. 
     Example 6 
     Example 5 is Repeated Except that the Laminate is Sintered at 1150° C. 
     Example 7 
     Example 5 is Repeated Except that the Laminate is Sintered at 1250° C. 
     Example 8 
     Textured BaTiO 3  using Anisotropically Shaped, Single Crystal SrTiO 3  Particles 
     BaTiO 3  powder (Cabot BT16) is dispersed in an HNO 3  aqueous solution (pH=2) for 30 min. This procedure is performed twice. The BaTiO 3  powder is recovered and then washed in isopropanol and centrifuged. Washing in isopropanol and centrifuging is repeated five times. The BaTiO 3  powder is dried at 110° C. 15.00 gms of the dried BaTiO 3  powder is roll-milled with ZrO 2  media in 5 gms of toluene for 5 hours to form a slurry. 8.85 gms of (73210) polymeric binder from Ferro Corporation is added to the BaTiO 3  powder in the slurry, and the resulting mixture is roll-milled for 10 hours. The milled BaTiO 3 -binder slurry is poured into a 100 ml Pyrex beaker equipped with a magnetic stir bar. 1.42 gms of the anisotropically shaped, single crystal SrTiO 3  platelets produced as in Example 1 above are added to the milled BaTiO 3 -binder slurry and mixed for 5 hours in the Pyrex beaker. The resulting mixed SrTiO 3 /BaTiO 3  slurry is tape cast onto a glass substrate using a doctor blade opening of 200 micron at 5 cm/sec to achieve a thickness of 200 micron. The tape is dried at room temperature to remove volatiles, and the dried tape is cut into 1 cm squares. Twenty of the squares are stacked and laminated at room temperature under a pressure of 7000 psi. The resulting laminate is heated in air at 0.5° C./min. to a temperature of 650° C., and held at 650° C. for 1 hour to remove the polymeric binder. The resulting laminate is then sintered 1350-1370° C. for 3 hours in air. 
     X-ray diffraction (XRD) of the face of the fired, laminated squares shows preferential orientation of the BaTiO 3 in the &lt;001&gt; crystallographic direction. XRD also shows an approximate 50% fiber-texture in the &lt;001&gt; direction perpendicular to the face of the fired, laminated squares.