PROPERTIES OF PB(ZRXTI1-X)O3 THIN-FILMS PREPARED BY RF MAGNETRON SPUTTERING AND HEAT-TREATMENT

PZT (Zr/Ti = 53/47) thin films have been prepared by r.f. magnetron sputtering on [100] silicon and sapphire. The sputtering and past deposition annealing conditions were optimized. The principal sputtering parameters are 100% Ar sputtering plasma, low substrate temperature and high deposition rate (8-10nm/min). The dependence of the structural type and morphology of the deposited films were studied using X-ray diffraction methods. The as-grown films were amorphous or crystalline with the pyrochlore structure. They were transformed to perovskite structure by post deposition annealing at 600-degrees-C. The ferroelectric behavior and optical properties of the thin films were investigated in terms of dielectric constant, polarization hysteresis, Curie temperature and optical transmission. The dielectric constants of the films lie between 450-680; ferroelectric hysteresis loops show a spontaneous polarization of 24-mu-C/cm2 and coercive field of 53kV/cm.