STRUCTURAL CONTROL OF EPITAXIALLY GROWN SPUTTERED PBTIO3 THIN-FILMS

Microstructures of sputtered PbTiO3 films on SrTiO3 substrates have be en studied. It is known that the epitaxial PbTiO3 films include micros tructures. It was found that the formation of these microstructures wa s strongly influenced by the off-stoichiometry of the sputtered films and substrate surface microstructures. Sputtering under the stoichiome tric condition on miscut (001)SrTiO3 led to the growth of ultrathin si ngle-crystal PbTiO3 films 10-100 nm thick with continuous structure; u nder the off-stoichiometric condition the sputtered films comprised mi crostructures with screwlike dislocation. The ultrathin films exhibite d lattice distortion which modified their ferroelectric properties.