CRYSTALLIZATION OF THIN PZT FILMS DEPOSITED BY LASER-ABLATION INTO FERROELECTRIC PEROVSKITE PHASE BY THERMAL-PROCESSING

Thin PZT films are deposited on Pt-metallized Si substrates by ArF exc imer pulsed laser deposition. The structural phase transformation of t he PZT films from the amorphous and/or pyrochlore phase to tile desire d perovskite phase caused by subsequent thermal processing at differen t temperatures and time durations is studied by X-ray diffraction (XRD ), both for rapid thermal processing (RTP) and conventional annealing. It is found that in order to obtain excellent ferroelectric PZT thin films with as much perovskite phase as possible, the annealing tempera ture and time duration should be in the ranges of 600 to 750 degrees C and 300 to 600 s, respectively.