Bismuth titanate (Bi4Ti3O12), a member of the layered perovskite family, ha
s a unique set of ferroelectric properties, which include a high remanent p
olarization, low coercive field, and high Curie temperature, that make it a
possible candidate for data storage applications. For this investigation,
bismuth titanate, or BiT, films were fabricated via sol-gel method to exami
ne the effect of processing on phase development and orientation. Solutions
were deposited onto platinized silicon, and then heat treated for one hour
at temperatures ranging from 550 degreesC to 700 degreesC in 100% O-2. It
was found that c-axis orientated BiT films could be formed at temperatures
as low as 550 degreesC by using bismuth oxide template layers, while films
without bismuth oxide templating possessed a random orientation over the sa
me temperature range.