Preparation of oriented lithium tantalate thin films using molecularly modified tantalum(V) ethoxide and lithium acetate

Sol-gel processing of ferroelectric thin films is an emergent area of research that has received considerable attention in academia and the semiconductor industry [1-4]. The preparation of ceramic thin films using the polymeric sol-gel route has several potential advantages over the more common methods that typically involve a vacuum-based physical deposition process. Sol-gel techniques permit the preparation of multicomponent, homogeneous and stoichiometric ceramic thin films and powders at reduced processing temperatures. Sol-gel processing also allows the controlled introduction of trace elements [5] and creates the opportunity to tailor the dielectric and optical properties through control of the chemical composition [6]. The lower processing temperatures, in the case of thin films, are necessary for successful integration of such films on to semiconductor substrates. Being a more mature technology for the processing of semiconductors, physical deposition methods are currently more popular [7]. However, recent results related to sol-gel processing indicate that high-quality films can be prepared [8-10], and from the increase in the volume of the technical literature it is evident that the development of this technology is accelerating.