Microstructure and properties of zirconium-rich lead(zirconium(x)titanium(1-x))oxygen(3) thin films prepared by metallo-organic deposition (MOD) technique

Dense, uniform Zr-rich Pb(Zr;In this investigation, it was shown that the pyrochlore phase is an unavoidable intermediate phase during the phase evolution of the Zr-rich PZT films. The growth of the perovskite phase fom the pyrochlore phase is interface controlled. Evaporation of PbO or Pb during the post-annealing process is the reason for the existence of the pyrochlore phase in the PZT films. A PbO surface coating has proven to be an effective method for obtaining the pure perovskite phase in the Zr-rich PZT thin films.;Also, this study has revealed that highly oriented PZT films are preferably developed on Pt/Si substrates with a perfect (111)-oriented Pt layer. Based on composition studies, it is proposed that the direct epitaxial effect of the sub-(111) Pt-layer results in (111)-oriented PZT films, whereas the intermediate PbO phase induces (100)-oriented PZT films.;(111)-oriented PZT 90/10 films, with P;The antiferroelectric PZT 97/3 films showed field-forced AFE-FE phase transition characteristics with reversible polarization, and a strain of 0.3% was measured for the transition. A relationship between the switching field of the AFE-FE transition, temperature, and applied electric field strength was established. The experiment data verified that the switching field for inducing the AFE-to-FE phase transition was independent of the applied field strength, and that the switching field strength decreased linearly with increase in temperature.