PZT-based piezoelectric composites via a modified sol-gel route

A novel hybrid sol-gel approach is developed to prepare composite PZT films in the thickness range 1-20 mum at relatively low sintering temperatures (<600<degrees>C). In this approach, a dip-coating method (thickness <5 <mu>m) is used to deposit films from a sol-gel solution with dispersed PZT powder. Thicker films (>5 mum) are fabricated using sedimentation of the PZT powder onto Pt-coated Si substrates with a subsequent multiple infiltration of powder coatings with PZT sol-gel solution. Dielectric and ferroelectric properties of thick films are studied and discussed in the framework of existing models of composites. (C) 2001 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.