Electrical Properties of Amorphous Thin Films of Ferroelectric Oxides Prepared by Sol-Gel Technique

Amorphous thin films of ferroelectric oxides including lead zirconate titanate (PZT), barium titanate (BaTiO 3 ) and lithium niobate (LiNbO 3 ) on several kinds of substrates were prepared by a sol-gel technique. The heat-treatment temperatures for preparation of amorphous thin films were much lower than those for the corresponding crystalline ferroelectric thin films. Electrical properties of these amorphous thin films were measured and compared with those of corresponding crystalline films. These amorphous thin films exhibited ferroelectric-like behavior. A model of the microstructure of these films is proposed.