Non-crystalline pyroelectric BaTiO3 thin films

Quasi-amorphous BaTiO3 thin films demonstrate pyroelectricity and piezoelectricity of a magnitude of 5–15% of bulk BaTiO3, despite the fact that X-ray and electron diffraction data do not reveal detectable crystallites in this material. Therefore, the pyroelectric and piezoelectric effects must be attributed to a local dipole ordering, which is induced by the high compressive stress in the films. The non-crystalline films were prepared by passing amorphous BaTiO3 layers deposited on a Si(1 0 0) substrate through a temperature gradient.