Effect of pyrolysis temperature on the characteristics of PZT films deposited by the sol-gel method

We have studied the effect of pyrolysis temperatures between 300 and 600°C on the materials and ferroelectric characteristics of PZT films deposited by the sol-gel method. SEM showed that the grain size increased slightly with the pyrolysis temperature. X-ray diffraction showed that the texture was mainly [111] orientation for pyrolysis temperatures below 400°C, but changed to [100] orientation for pyrolysis temperatures at or above 400°C. Pyrochlore phases also existed in films pyrolyzed at temperatures above 400°C. At a final annealing temperature of 700°C for 10 min, the remanent polarization Pr has a maximum value at 400°C pyrolysis temperature. If the annealing time was elongated, the value of Pr for films pyrolyzed at higher temperatures could be increased.