Rapid thermal processing of strontium bismuth tantalate ferroelectric thin films prepared by a novel chemical solution deposition method

Strontium bismuth tantalate (SBT) thin films have been deposited on Pt/TiO2/(100)Si substrates by chemical solution deposition (CSD), using air-stable solutions synthesised by a sol-gel method. Solutions with different Bi/Sr ratios have been tested for the deposition of the films. These ratios and the type of thermal treatment used for the crystallisation of the films have effect on the microstructure. Adequate ferroelectric responses have been measured in films with a Bi/Sr ratio of 2.75 and prepared with a direct thermal treatment that consists of a rapid thermal processing (RTP) at 650 degreesC with a heating rate of similar to 200 degreesC/s. A coercive field of E(c)similar to 60 kV/cm and a remanent polarisation of P(r)similar to 11 muC/cm(2) have been measured in these films. They retain their P-r up to similar to 10(5) s and they are fatigue-free up to similar to 10(10) cycles. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.