Electrical properties and phase transitions of the antiferroelectric PbZrO3 thin films

Lead zirconate, PbZrO3, antiferroelectric thin films were synthesized on Pt /Ti/SiO2/Si substrates by a reactive magnetron sputtering method and rapid thermal annealed at 700 degrees C for 30s. The field forced an antiferroele ctric to ferroelectric phase transition behavior of the PbZrO3 films were e xamined by hysteresis loop measurement as a function of applied voltage. Th e Pb 20% excess film shows (240) preferred orientation and the thickness of the film was about 300 nm. The average grain size was 0.2 similar to 0.5 m u m. The dielectric constant and Curie temperature were 182 and 200 degrees C at 100 kHz respectively. The maximum polarization could reach 41 mu C/cm (2) at the applied voltage of 16 V. The held to excite the FE state (E-F) a nd reversion to the AFE state (E-AF) were 357 kV/cm, and 207 kV/cm, respect ively. PZ film might be commensurate antiferroelectric orthorhombic, incomm ensurate antiferroelectric orthorhombic, slim loop ferroelectric (SLFE), an d single-cell cubic (paraelectric) (AFE(o)-AFE(in)-SLFE-P) with increasing temperature.