Effect of substrate temperature on the crystallization of Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 films on Pt/Ti/Si substrates prepared by radio frequency magnetron sputtering with a stoichiometric oxide target

Using radio frequency magnetron (RF-magnetron) sputtering, we grew quaternary Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 thin films on (111) Si substrates with Pt as a bottom electrode with stoichiometric oxide target. No excess lead was used either during sputtering or during the post deposition annealing. Structural properties of the films were systematically studied in terms of substrate temperature and post deposition annealing. The optimized preparation conditions, like, substrate temperature, post deposition annealing temperature and annealing time were 220 °C, 600 °C and 15 min, respectively, for the perovskite phase formation. Surface morphology of the PZT films were studied with SEM. Elemental composition profile of the film across the thickness was studied by AES depth profile and found uniform except the surface region. Dielectric constant and loss tangent at 10 kHz were 832 and 0.06, respectively, for the films annealed at 600 °C for 15 min. Remanent polarization and coercive field of 1 μm thick film annealed at 600 °C for 15 min were 25 μC cm−2 and 70 kV cm−1, respectively.