ORIENTATION OF RAPID THERMALLY ANNEALED LEAD-ZIRCONATE-TITANATE THIN-FILMS ON (111) PT SUBSTRATES

The nucleation, growth, and orientation of lead zirconate titanate thi n films prepared from organometallic precursor solutions by spin coati ng on (111) oriented platinum substrates and crystallized by rapid the rmal annealing was investigated. The effects of pyrolysis temperature, post-pyrolysis thermal treatments, and excess lead addition are repor ted. The use of post-pyrolysis oxygen anneals at temperatures in the r egime of 350-450 degrees C was found to strongly affect the kinetics o f subsequent amorphous-pyrochlore-perovskite crystallization by rapid thermal annealing. The use of such post-pyrolysis anneals allowed film s of reproducible microstructure and textures [both (100) and (111)] t o be prepared by rapid thermal annealing. It is proposed that such ann eals and pyrolysis temperature affect the oxygen concentration/average Pb valence in the amorphous films prior to annealing. Such changes in the Pb valence state then affect the stability of the transient pyroc hlore phase and thus the kinetics of perovskite crystallization.