Ferroelectric Pb5-xBix (Ge.Si)3-xBxO11 single crystals as a material for IR radiation detectors

The coupled substitution of Bi³⁺ for Pb₂₊ and B³⁺ for Ge⁴⁺ was successfully achieved in ferroelectric Pb₅Ge₃O₁₁. Large single crystals of optical quality were grown from the melt. Deterioration of the crystal quality could not be observed within a period of two years under ambient conditions. The dielectric permittivity ε_r, electric conductivity p and pyroelectric coefficient γ are investigated as a function of temperature. The room temperature data (εr = 43, γ = 2.4·10^-4Cm^-2 K^-1, p = 7·10⁷ Ω, volume specific heat s = 2·10⁶ Jm^-3K^-1) show the usefulness of Pb_5-xBi_xGe_3-xB_xO₁₁ around x = 0.1 as a material for pyroelectric thermal detectors operating at room temperature. Also the difficulty of producing lead germanate silicate mixed crystals in the size and quality needed for vidicon applications is overcome by additional replacement of some Pb and Ge by Bi and B.