An XPS and XRD study of physical and chemical homogeneity of Pb Zr,Ti/O thin films obtained by pulsed laser deposition

Pb Zr,Ti.O3 PZT.oriented films deposited by laser ablation on Au 111.rSi 111.have been tested by different techniques for their physico-chemical homogeneity. The samples have been divided in different zones, in order to verify the existence of chemical and structural differences between different regions. Few techniques like X-ray diffraction XRD.and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy XPS. have been employed for characterization. XRD analyses showed differences regarding the crystallographic content and the degree of orientation between zones subjected to the plasma arriving at different angles of incidence on the sample surface. In the same zones XPS studies have been performed by a VG ESCALAB 210 Spectrometer, using a non-monochromatic AlK X-ray source 300 W.in the five channel hemispherical a analyzer. Wide scans in the binding energy scale 0–1200 eV, at 50 eV analyzer pass energy, were collected both from the as received surface and after sputter cleaning in order to put into evidence all the constituents of the film. Narrow scans of Ti 2p, Zr 3d, Pb 4f and O 1s were also acquired at 20 eV and 0.1 eVrchannel pass energy and 100 ms of dwell time in order to give a better insight into the chemical bonds form and a semiquantitative analyze of the present chemical species. The piezoelectric properties of different zones were also measured. q1999 Published by Elsivier Science B.V. All rights reserved.