Fabrication and Electrical Properties of Lead Zirconate Titanate Thick Films on Si Substrate by Using Lanthanum Nickelate Buffer Layer

Abstract

Lead zirconate titanate PbZr0.53Ti0.47O3 (PZT) thick films have been deposited on silicon substrate by modified metallorganic decomposition process. Crack‐free PZT films of 8 μm thickness can be obtained by using lanthanum nickelate LaNiO3 (LNO) as buffer layer. The greater LNO thickness, the greater thickness of crack‐free PZT can be obtained. The X‐ray diffraction measurements show the films exhibit a single perovskite phase with (110) preferred orientation. SEM measurements showed the PZT thick films have a columnar structure with grain size about 60–200 nm. The thickness dependence of ferroelectric, dielectric, and piezoelectric properties of PZT thick films have been characterized over the thickness range of 1–8 μm. For PZT with thickness of 8 μm, Pr and Ec are 30 μC/cm2 and 35 kV/cm, and dielectric constant and dielectric loss are 1030 and 0.031, respectively. The piezoelectric coefficient (d33) of PZT with 8 μm thickness is obtained to be 77 pm/V. PZT thick films on LNO‐coated Si substrate are potential for MEMS applications.