Fabrication and electrical properties of lead zirconate titanate thick films by the new sol-gel method

Lead zirconate titanate (Pb(Zr0.53Ti0.47)O-3, PZT) ferroelectric films with 2 - 60 mum in thickness have been successfully fabricated on Pt-coated oxi dized Si substrates(Pt/Ti/Sio(2)/Si) by a new sol-gel based 0-3 method. The films consisted of 0-3 ceramic/ceramic composites formed by dispersing nan opowders in a PZT solution. The precursor solution for spin coating was pre pared from lead acetate, tetrabutyl titanate, and zirconium nitrate. The mi crostructure and morphology of the prepared PZT thick films were investigat ed by X-ray diffractometry and scanning electron microscopy techniques. The XRD analysis indicates that the thick films possess single-phase perovskit e type structure and no pyrochlore phase exists. The SEM micrograph shows t hat the PZT thick films were of uniformity, density and crack-free. Dielect ric constant of 860, loss tangent of 0.03, remnant polarization of 25 muC c m(-2), a coercive field of 40 kV cm(-1) were obtained on 50 mum thick films annealed at 700 degreesC. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science BN. All rights reserve d.