Ferroelectric thin films deposited by pulsed laser deposition

Influence of substrate and electrode on the properties of PbZr0.53Ti0.47O3 (PZT) thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition technique (1060 nm wavelength Nd:YAG laser light, 10 ns pulse duration, 10 Hz repetition rate, 0.35 J/pulse, 25 J/cm2 laser fluence, deposition rate about 1 angstrom/pulse) was studied. The substrate temperatures were in the range 380 degree(s)C-400 degree(s)C. Oriented crystalline PZT layers with 1-3 micrometers thickness were deposited on glass substrates plated with Au/Pt/NiCr electrodes, from a PZT commercial target in oxygen reactive atmosphere. The deposited PZT films with perovskite structure were preferentially oriented along the (111) direction as revealed from XRD spectra. Piezoelectric d33 coefficients up to 30 pC/N were obtained on as deposited films. Ferroelectric hysteresis loops at 100 Hz revealed a remanent polarization of 15 (mu) C/cm2 and a coercive field of 100 kV/cm. A comparison with properties of PZT films deposited using a KrF laser and with SrBi2Ta2O9 (SBT) films is reported.