Powder preparation in aerosol deposition method for lead zirconate titanate thick films

The influence of a pre-process for a starting powder in the deposition of ferroelectric thick films using the aerosol deposition method (ADM) was investigated. When a dry-milling procedure was introduced to the preparation of the ferroelectric powder, the deposition rate of ADM increased significantly up to 30-fold and reached 73 mum/min for a 5 mm(2) area. However, density and electrical properties of the thick film decreased. If heat treatment at 800degreesC for 4 h was additionally introduced to the pre-process of the starting powder, the deposition rate increased up to 7-10-fold as compared with that for a starting powder and the electrical properties were improved from P-r = 20 muC/cm(2) at E-c = 50 kV/cm to 32 muC/cm(2) at E-c = 45 kV/cm.