High-resolution inspections of ferroelectric thin PZT films

Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) materials have been widely investigated for a pplications in dynamic random access memories and non-volatile random acces s memories. The developments of such applications are conditionned by the f abrication of thin films. The main advantages of the sol-gel method include low cost and high quality control of the deposited thin films. Electric fo rce microscopy and near-field optical microscopy are proposed as high-resol ution inspection methods at the nanometric scale to extend the classical ma croscopic characterizations.