PZT thin films prepared from modified zirconium alkoxide

Selective modification of zirconium alkoxide by acetic acid or acetylaceton e was used in solution processing of PZT Pb(Zr,Ti)O-3 thin films by 2-metho xyethanol route. EXAFS results clearly show a decrease of Zr-O-Zr links in the acetic acid modified PZT sol implying a more homogeneous constituent me tal distribution. No such decrease in comparison to unmodified sol is found in acetylacetone modified PZT. Higher level of homogeneity achieved in mod ified PZT sols evokes the perovskite crystallization in thin films and decr eases the crystallization temperature on (0001) sapphire. On TiO2/Pt/TiO2/S i the modifiers affect the relative orientation of the perovskite phase.