ELECTRICAL AND OPTICAL-PROPERTIES OF CHEMICALLY DERIVED FERROELECTRIC-FILMS

Wet chemical (sol-gel) methods have been used to synthesize a variety of ferroelectric (FE) thin films, most notably lead zirconate titanate. Ferroelectric films have a wide variety of applications ranging from non-volatile memory devices to pyroelectric detectors. Recent progress in this area of sol-gel processing is surveyed, and examples are illustrated by results from the authors' laboratory. It is concluded that impressive results have been achieved in the chemical processing of FE films, but that more effective collaboration needs to be established between chemists/ceramists knowledgeable about wet chemical processing, and device technologists knowledgeable about the characteristics of coatings.