Effect of Alkanolamines on the Microstructure and Dielectric Properties of Lead Zirconium Titanium Trioxide Thin Films Prepared from Modified Metal Alkoxides

Abstract

Lead zirconium titanium trioxide (PZT) thin films were prepared by the sol-gel method using Ti and Zr alkoxides chemically modified with acetylacetone and trihydrated lead acetate dissolved in ethanol containing alkanolamines, such as monoethanolamine (MEA), diethanolamine (DEA) and triethanolamine (TEA), as starting materials. In FE-SEM micrographs of PZT thin films with each alkanolamine, the perovskite phases of 400-600 nm in diameter and the Pb-deficient pyrochlore grains of 20-50 nm in diameter, which could not be detected by X-ray diffraction (XRD), were observed, although the XRD patterns of the films showed a single perovskite phase. The fraction and size of perovskite phases in the films using MEA are larger than those in the films using DEA or TEA. An overcoating of PbO on these films can lead to the formation of the perovskite single phase. The PZT thin films using MEA showed better dielectric properties than the films using DEA or TEA.