INFLUENCE OF DEPOSITION PARAMETERS ON PHYSICOCHEMICAL AND OPTICAL-PROPERTIES OF SPUTTERED PBTIO3 THIN-FILMS

Stoichiometric thin films of lead titanate (PbTiO3) have been grown '' in situ'' without postannealing on (0001) sapphire substrates by rf ma gnetron sputtering technique. X-ray diffraction scans have revealed th at as-grown films consist of the perovskite phase and are polycrystall ine with a high (111) orientation. The structure, the microstructure a nd the optical properties have been studied as a function of the proce ss parameters i.e., substrate temperature, gas pressure and the target composition, in particular the lead content. We report the dependence of the deposition conditions on the optical constants. The optimum ex perimental conditions (100m Torr and 600 degrees C) to produce thin fi lms with high transparency and refractive indices (n = 2.61 at 633 nm) , similar to values for bulk materials, are given in this paper.