Chapter 1 - Ferroelectric Thin Films: Preparation and Characterization

Abstract

This chapter gives an account of ferroelectric thin films focusing on its preparation and characterization. Several deposition techniques are being exploited for the growth of ferroelectric thin films and numerous compositions are under exploration all over the world. Classification of these techniques is done mainly in terms of growth processes such as physical vapor growth involving low energy bombardment and chemical routes involving no such bombardment. this chapter focuses on the growth processes with low energy ion bombardment such as magnetron sputtering, ion-beam sputtering, excimer laser ablation, electron cyclotron resonance plasma-assisted growth, and plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition. It also discusses techniques that do not involve bombardment such as sol-gel based growth, chemical vapor deposition, and metal-organic chemical vapor deposition. The chapter describes the processing of some of the ferroelectric thin films highlighting the laser ablation technique and the structure processing relation in the ferroelectric thin films. The main films discussed in the chapter include ferroelectric PZT (PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3) thin films, paraelectric BST (barium strontium titanate) thin films, antiferroelectric lead zirconate thin films, ferroelectric bi-layered structured films, and rapid thermal annealing processed ferroelectric films. The chapter also illustrates the process of compound phase formation of films describing effects of anion and cation composition and its effect on composition, microstructure and electric properties. It also discusses the electric properties of ferroelectric thin films highlighting microstructure-dependent electric properties.