SOL-GEL PROCESSING OF ORIENTED PBTIO3 THIN-FILMS WITH LEAD ACETYLACETONATE AS THE LEAD PRECURSOR

Sol-gel lead titanate thin films were spin-coated onto MgO(100), platinum-coated silicon, SrTiO3 (211) and SrTiO3 (100) substrates. This method utilizes lead acetylacetonate as the lead precursor instead of the widely used lead acetate trihydrate, along with titanium iso-propoxide. The use of lead acetylacetonate yielded a more stable precursor solution as compared to that of lead acetate trihydrate. Lead titanate crystallized at a temperature as low as 425-degrees-C, which is considerably lower than the Curie temperature. Films deposited on various substrates and annealed at 425-degrees-C showed different orientations. Typical microstructure studies indicated the presence of submicrometer grains of the order of 0.1 mum.