Bismuth zinc niobate pyrochlore dielectric thin films for capacitive applications

Bi2O3-ZnO-Nb2O5 pyrochlore thin films were prepared on platinum coated Si wafers using a metalorganic deposition process. The structures, morphologies, and dielectric properties of films with two compositions: (Bi1.5Zn0.5)(Zn0.5Nb1.5)O-7 and Bi-2(Zn1/3Nb2/3)(2)O-7, were investigated. Thin films of (Bi1.5Zn0.5)(Zn0.5Nb1.5)O-7 have a cubic pyrochlore phase when crystallized at 550 degreesC or higher. The crystal structure of Bi-2(Zn1/3Nb2/3)(2)O-7 thin films was dependent on the firing temperature; the films showed the cubic pyrochlore phase at temperatures below 650 degreesC, and a pseudo-orthorhombic pyrochlore structure at 750 degreesC. A mixture of cubic and pseudo-orthorhombic structures was found in thin films crystallized at 700 degreesC. (Bi1.5Zn0.5)(Zn0.5Nb1.5)O-7 films fired at 750 degreesC had a dielectric constant of similar to 150 and a negative temperature coefficient of capacitance of -400 ppm/degreesC. Bi-2(Zn1/3Nb2/3)(2)O-7 thin films fired at 750 degreesC had a smaller dielectric constant of similar to 80 and a positive temperature coefficient of capacitance of 150 ppm/degreesC. The dielectric constants of the thin films are composition, structure, and firing temperature dependent. The loss tangents of both types of films were smaller than 0.008. Bias voltage dependence of dielectric constant showed that the cubic (Bi1.5Zn0.5)(Zn0.5Nb1.5)O-7 films fired at 750 degreesC were tunable, while the pseudoorthorhombic Bi-2(Zn1/3Nb2/3)(2)O-7 films were nearly field independent. The relatively large dielectric constants, small loss tangents, controllable temperature coefficients of capacitance, and tunability of the dielectric constant suggests that Bi2O3-ZnO-Nb2O5 thin films have potential applications for integrated microwave components and decoupling capacitors. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.