Microstructural and electrical properties of nanocomposite PZT/Pt thin films made by pulsed laser deposition

Dual phase composites made by dispersing a metallic phase into a ferroelectric matrix are of great interest due to significant enhancement in the dielectric constant (ε). In this study thin films of nano sized platinum (Pt) particles were embedded in a crystalline lead-zirconate-titantate (PZT) matrix, using pulsed laser deposition. The microstructure of these films was characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The electrical properties were investigated by capacitance versus voltage (C–V) and leakage current versus voltage (I–V) measurements. The influence of the Pt dispersoids on the crystallinity of the PZT matrix and the dielectric properties of the composites are discussed. Pt addition caused significant changes in the electrical properties, which showed the difference from what is observed for bulk PZT/Pt composites.