Effect of different annealing methods on ferroelectric properties of 0.95Pb(Sc0.5Ta0.5)O3–0.05PbTiO3 thin films

0.95Pb(Sc0.5Ta0.5)O3–0.05PbTiO3 thin films were prepared on LaNiO3/SiO2/Si substrate by radio frequency magnetron sputtering, and the films were annealed subsequently with repeated many times by two approaches: normal one-step rapid thermal annealing and innovative two-steps rapid thermal annealing. X-ray diffraction demonstrates that all the films were preferred (1 0 0) oriented and an appropriate repeat of annealing process can enhance perovskite phase of the films. Scanning electron microscopy suggests that the films treated by two-steps rapid thermal annealing show crack-free, uniform size grains and dense microstructure. Measurement of remnant polarization and leakage current dependence of electric field confirms that the films treated by two-steps rapid thermal annealing exhibit better ferroelectric properties than the films treated by one-steps rapid thermal annealing. The results reveal that microstructure plays an important role in enhanced ferroelectric properties of the 0.95Pb(Sc0.5Ta0.5)O3–0.05PbTiO3 thin films.