Seeding Studies in PZT Thin Films

Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) solid solutions exhibit excellent ferroelectric, piezoelectric, pyroelectric, and electrooptical properties and, therefore, are very attractive for the electronic industry. Low-temperature thermal treatment of the films enhances the incorporation of sol-gel derived PZT thin films into integrated circuits. The nucleation temperature of the perovskite phase and the temperature to get a pure perovskite phase can be lowered using heterogeneous nucleation. In this work, thin films of PZT with a zirconium to titanium ratio of 52/48 have been prepared by the sol-gel method using metal alkoxides. Different types of crystalline seeds were used, and their effects on the perovskite phase crystallization were compared. The crystallographic and morphological properties of the films have been analyzed by X-ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy.