Crystallization of amorphous lead titanate thin films by the irradiation of KrF excimer laser

Amorphous lead titanate thin films prepared on silicon and silica glass substrates by sol–gel technique had been transformed into crystallized films at room temperature under the irradiation of a KrF excimer pulsed laser (Lambda Physika, 30 ns pulse width, 248 nm wavelength). X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) methods were used to analyze the structure and the surface morphology of the films, respectively. Irradiation with laser energy density of 100 mJ/cm2 per pulse in air at a frequency of 50 Hz for 2 min, produce crystallized films composed of monoclinic lead titanate (PbTi3O7) and perovskite lead titanate (PbTiO3) with the surface rather rough and unsmooth. Irradiation with laser energy density of 900 mJ/cm2 per pulse for a much shorter period of only two pulses, formed perovskite structure in the crystallized films and the surface of the film remains smooth. The crystallization path is also discussed.