Effects of excess Pb on structural and electrical properties of Pb(Zr0.48Ti0.52)O-3 thin films using MOD process

Pb(Zr0.48Ti0.52)O-3 thin films at 20% excess Pb were synthesized on Pt/Ti/S iO2/Si(100) substrates at different annealing temperatures by a metal-organ ic decomposition process. The microstructure of the PZT films was investiga ted by x-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. The composition of th e films was characterized by Rutherford Backscattering Spectroscopy (RBS). These results showed that The PZT films have perovskite phase coexisted wit h PbO2 phase. The PbO2 phase mainly was formed by excess Pb which congregat e at boundaries of crystalline grains during the annealing process and may be absorbed part of oxygen ion at normal sites, thus leading to an increase of oxygen vacancies in the PZT film. PbO2 phase and oxygen vacancies act a s pinning centres, which has an effect on the ferroelectric domain switchin g. This eventually resulted in an increase of fatigue rate in PZT films. (C ) 2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers.