Effect of sol-gel precursors on the grain structure of PZT thin films

Three sol-gel solutions, namely, acetate-, 2-methoxyethoxide-, and 2-ethylh exanoate-based precursor solutions, were synthesized and utilized for the f abrication of ferroelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin films on Pt/ Ti/SiO2/Si substrates. The effect of these sol-gel precursors on the surfac e morphology, crystallographic phase, and ferroelectric properties of the P ZT thin films is analyzed in this work. The PZT thin films prepared from th e acetate-based precursor solution demonstrated homogeneous and dense grain s, while those from the 2-methoxyethoxide and 2-ethylhexanoate systems exhi bited large rosette structures on their surface. The correlation between th e decomposition mechanism of the precursor and the formation of rosette str ucture in the sol-gel derived PZT films is discussed. (C) 1999 Elsevier Sci ence Ltd.