Dielectric and ferroelectric properties of pulsed laser deposited lead zirconate titanate (65/35) thin film

Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin films with composition (65/35) were deposited using pulsed laser deposition. A KrF laser with a wavelength of 248 nm, an energy fluence of similar to 1.2 J/cm(2) with a repetition rate of 5 Hz. and a background pressure of 6 to 13 Pa oxygen was used to deposit the films. A PZT target of 25 mm diameter and 5 mm thickness was prepared by solid-state double sintering ceramic route for laser ablation. The films were deposited at 300 degrees C (substrate temperature) and thereafter annealed ex-situ at 450 degrees C for 5h intermediately and finally at 650 degrees C for 2h resulting in single phase polycrystalline PZT with a grain size of similar to 0.5 mu m. A metal/ferroelectric/metal structure was formed by depositing gold electrodes on the film. The Atomic Force Microscope images revealed well-crystallized films with a fine microstructure and an average grant size of similar to 0.5 mu m. The dielectric and ferroelectric properties of the films deposited on Platinum (Pt) coated silicon substrates were studied and the results are discussed. The Polarization vs. Electric field hysteresis measurements showed a well-defined hysteresis loop with a fairly high P-r of 25 mu C/cm(2) with a coercive field of 38 kV/cm. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.