ANTIFERROELECTRIC LEAD ZIRCONATE THIN-FILMS DERIVED FROM ACETATE PRECURSORS

Antiferroelectric lead zirconate (PbZrO3) films derived from acetate p recursors have been fabricated on Pt/Ti-coated silicon wafers and fuse d silica at 700 degrees C with an automatic dip-coating process. Films formed directly on the metallized silicon wafer showed the coexistenc e of perovskite and pyrochlore phases. A pre-coated titania layer of a bout 10 nm coexistence of perovskite and facilitated the formation of the desired perovskite phase. Films deposited on fused silica exhibite d interactions between lead and silica which inhibited the crystalliza tion of the films. In this case, a pre-coated titania layer in the ran ge 50-75 nm acted as a diffusion barrier layer, allowing the formation of the perovskite phase. Antiferroelectricity in the films was confir med by X-ray superstructure, dielectric double hysteresis loops and d. c. bias behaviour at room temperature. The corresponding transverse el ectro-optic properties were also measured films deposited on fused sil ica.