Abstract :
Epitaxial Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) thin films with thicknesses in the range of 50–200 nm and with 0.2 Zr/(Zr + Ti) ratio, were grown by pulsed laser
deposition (PLD).The substrates used for PLD deposition are single crystalline 0.5% Nb-doped (1 0 0) SrTiO3 (STON). SrRuO3 (SRO) thin films
were deposited as bottom and top electrodes in order to have minimum structural misfit, to insure on one side high quality growth, and on the other
side to minimize the influence of the extended structural defects. Structural and electrical characterization was performed. The epitaxial PZT films
are c-axis oriented and have an average roughness of 0.4 nm. The ferroelectric behavior was proved in all investigated films by the presence of the
hysteresis loops and by the butterfly shape of the capacitance–voltage (C–V) characteristics. The ferroelectricity was present even in the samples
with relative high leakage currents, down to a thickness of 50 nm. These results are essential when small thickness is needed for miniaturization of
ferroelectric devices using PZT.
