Pulsed laser deposition and characterization of PZT thin films

Pb(Zr0.53Ti0.47)O-3 (PZT) thin films were deposited on TiN coated Si substr ates. PZT and TiN layers were grown by two subsequent laser ablation proces ses in oxygen and, respectively, nitrogen reactive atmosphere. Both deposit ion processes were conducted at quite low substrate temperature: 350 degree s C for TIN and 375 degrees C for PZT in the same experimental setup (Nd-YA G laser, lambda = 1.06 mu m, energy/pulse 0.3 J, t(FWHM) = 10 ns), The TIN electrode and PZT films were crystalline as revealed by XRD. The orientatio n of the PZT films was mainly (111) with about 30% component of (002) cryst allographic phase. The high frequency optical vibrational modes of the ferr oelectric PZT structure have been obtained from FTIR measurements. A mappin g of the d(33) piezoelectric constant was obtained. Polarization hysteresis cycles of the samples were measured and high values of the remanent polari zation and coercive electric field were obtained for all the samples. (C) 2 000 Published by Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.