Electrical properties of Sb-doped PZT films deposited by dc reactive sputtering using multi-targets

Sb-doped reactive sputtering-derived lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin films were investigated with the intention of improving ferroelectric properties. Also, the atomic valence of Sb in PZT thin film was confirmed as trivalent cation (Sb3+) by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). According to the ionic radius and tolerance factor, Sb3+ tends to occupy the B-site of ABO(3) perovskite structure and acts as an acceptor that generates oxygen vacancies and holes. The P-r, E-c, E-i and polarization offset in lightly doped (< 1 at.%) PZT thin films increased as the Sb contents increased, but for heavily doped (> 1 at.%) PZT thin films, these parameters decreased. Lightly doped (similar to 1 at.%) PZST thin films exhibited improved fatigue properties (about 10% degradation of the remanent polarization after 1010 switching cycles). (C) 1998 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.