LOW-TEMPERATURE FABRICATION AND PROPERTIES OF SOL-GEL DERIVED (111) ORIENTED PB(ZR1-XTIX)O-3 THIN-FILMS

A novel processing method is developed for preparing sol-gel derived P b(Zr1-xTix)O-3 (x = 0.47) thin films on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates. Usin g a modified precursor solution and a rapid heat treatment without pyr olysis, ii was possible to obtain highly (111) oriented PZT thin films with high perovskite content at a low annealing temperature of 550 de grees C. The low temperature processing was assisted by taking advanta ge of the heterogeneous nucleation of the PZT films, which reduces the activation energy for perovskite phase formation. Using this method, the PZT thin films exhibited better dielectric and ferroelectric prope rties at 550 degrees C than those reported by other methods. For examp le, the PZT films annealed at 550 degrees C showed a well-saturated hy steresis loop at an applied voltage of 5 V with P-r and E-c of 12 mu C /cm(2) and 38 kV/cm, and their dielectric constant and dissipation fac tor at a frequency of 100 kHz were 410 and 0.021, respectively. The le akage current density was lower than 10(-8) at an applied electric fie ld of 150 kV/cm, (C) 1998 American Institute of Physics.