Preparation and characterization of lead zirconate titanate thin films derived by hybrid processing: Sol-Gel method and pulsed laser deposition

Pb(Zr_0.52Ti_0.48)O₃ (PZT) thin films were prepared on Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si substrates by hybrid processing: sol-gel method and pulsed laser deposition. The temperature of postdeposition annealing in hybrid processing is 650°C, and is lower than that in the case of direct film deposition by pulsed laser deposition on a Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si substrate. The preferred orientation of the PZT films obtained by hybrid processing can be controlled using the seeding layer obtained by the sol-gel process. The TEM image showed that the PZT films have a polycrystalline columnar microstructure extending throughout the thickness of the film and no sharp interface was observed between the layers obtained by the sol-gel method and the pulsed laser deposition process. Electrical properties of the films were evaluated by measuring their P-E hysteresis loops and dielectric constants. The 1-μm-thick PZT films fabricated by hybrid processing consist of mainly the perovskite phase with a (111)-preferred orientation and have good ferroelectric properties. The ferroelectric parameters were remanent polarization P_r = 23.6 μC/cm², and coercive field E_c = 54.8 kV/cm.