SWITCHING CHARACTERISTICS OF PB(ZR0.52TI0.48)O-3 THIN-FILMS PREPARED BY RF MAGNETRON SPUTTERING

Pyrochlore-phase lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin films were prepare d on Pt(111)/Ti/SiO2 /Si(100) substrates by rf-magnetron sputtering us ing a Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O-3 ceramic target at 400 degrees C. These films were annealed in. - situ in an oxygen ambient at 530 degrees C for 10 min, and exhibited (111) grain-oriented perovskite phase. The microst ructure and ferroelectric properties of these thin films were investig ated by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and capacitance-voltage (C-V) cu rves according to annealing conditions. From the D-E hysteresis loops, the remanent polarization and the coercive field were estimated to be 9.8 mu C/cm(2) and 57 kV/cm, respectively. In order to study the pola rization reversals, the switching currents(is) were observed according to the applied voltage. It was found that the switching time decrease s with increasing the applied voltage. Switching currents measured exp erimentally can be well fitted by the Kolmogorov-Avrami theory conside ring the voltage dependence of the reversed polarization.