SURFACE-ROUGHNESS OF PBZRXTI1-XO3 THIN-FILMS PRODUCED BY PULSED-LASERABLATION-DEPOSITION

The surface roughness of PbZrxTi1-xO3 (PZT) produced by pulsed laser a blation-deposition (PLAD) was evaluated as a function of the depositio n temperature, oxygen pressure, laser energy density and target-to-sub strate distance. Quantitative and qualitative results were obtained by scanning the surface of PZT with an atomic force microscope. The norm alized root-mean-square roughness decreases as the magnitudes of the f our process variables are increased. The improvement in the surface ro ughness with an increase in all the process parameters, except the las er energy density, can be explained qualitatively in terms of the part icle energetics required for surface activation to occur. The decrease in roughness with increasing laser energy density implies that partia lly dissociated ejecta are completely vaporized as the laser energy de nsity is increased.