Effect of PbTiO3 seeding layer on the growth of sol-gel-derived Pb(Zr0.53Ti0.47)O3 thin film

Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) films prepared by a sol-gel method were deposited on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates with a seeding layer. A thin PbTiO3 layer, about 30 nm in thickness, was deposited on the Pt surface as the seeding layer to provide a nucleation site for PZT crystallization. Strong (001)-preferred orientation of PZT was observed when the seeding layer was deposited by pulsed laser ablation at room temperature and annealed subsequently. This result was explained by a "two-step growth" model. The texture and microstructure of PZT films can be controlled by the introduction of a thin seeding layer which lowers the crystallization temperature and makes it possible to obtain films composed of very fine grains. The dielectric properties of ferroelectric materials could be controlled by changing the grain size.