FT-IR, structure and dielectric. property investigation of strontium zirconate thin films prepared by MOD technique

Strontium zirconate (SrZrO3) oxide thin films on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrate were prepared by the metal-organic decomposition wet chemical technology followed by post-annealing at different temperatures in flowing oxygen atmosphere. Strontium acetate Sr(CH3COO)(2) and zirconium (IV) acetylacetonate [CH3COCH=C(O-)CH3](4)Zr were chosen as precursors, separately and thoroughly dissolved in glacial acetic acid CH3COOH. Those prepared thin films were investigated using X-ray diffraction and Fourier transform infrared reflectivity spectroscopy to study the mechanisms of phase transformation and crystallinity, and using calculated dielectric constants and dielectric losses vs. sweeping frequency to study dielectric characteristics as well. The results show that the film annealed at 550 degreesC is amorphous with existing of carbonates, while annealed at 600 degreesC and above the carbonates are decomposed and those films crystallize into perovskite phase without preferred orientation. Dielectric results show that the films have their dielectric constants higher than 22.0 with very little dispersion in a frequency range from 100 Hz to 1 MHz. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.