Preparation and electrical properties of sol-gel derived antiferroelectricPb-0.99[(Zr0.6Sn0.4)(0.96)Ti-0.04](0.98)Nb0.02O3 thin films

The antiferroelectric Pb-0.99[(Zr0.6Sn0.4)(0.96)Ti-0.04](0.98)Nb0.02O3 thin films were prepared by a sol-gel process with different heat treatments. T he films pyrolysed in the temperature range from 350 degrees C to 600 degre es C for each spin-on layer, consisted of spherulitic grains (rosettes) and fine pyrochlore phase around them. But for the thin films heat-treated at 700 degrees C, the rosettes clung to each other and the pyrochlore phase di sappeared. The films heat-treated at 700 degrees C represented the highest dielectric constants and spontaneous polarization values, and showed little degradation in polarization up to 10(8) switching cycles.