Stoichiometry control and structure evolution in hydrothermally derived (Ba,Sr)TiO3 films

(Ba,Sr)TiO3 films were synthesized on the titanium metal substrates in solution of Ba(OH)2 and Sr(OH)2 by hydrothermal method. Crystallinity and microstructure of the films changed with time, concentration and temperature. Effects of the mole ratio of barium and strontium in solution on the composition of film have been studied. The barium contents in the BST films are fairly lower than those in the original solutions. This indicates that strontium is more readily incorporated into the BST films, relative to barium. The results of narrow-scan of XPS spectrum confirm that the valences of Ba, Sr, Ti and O elements of hydrothermally prepared BST films are +2, +2, +4, and −2, respectively. SEM photographs show that the BST films are dense and well-compact. AFM analyses show that the average surface roughness of the films is 40–50 nm. It is concluded that BST films of different mole ratio of barium and strontium with thickness of up to 2 μm have been prepared successively by the environmentally benign hydrothermal method.