Ferroelectric properties of Pb(Zr 0.52Ti 0.48)O 3 thin films prepared by metal–organic decomposition process

Abstract

The perovskite LaNiO 3 (LNO) and Pb(Zr 0.52Ti 0.48)O 3 (PZT) thin films were successfully prepared using metal–organic decomposition (MOD) process. Perovskite LNO phase can be obtained at temperature as low as 600°C (30 s) in rapid thermal annealing (RTA) process. However, additional furnace annealing (FA) at 650°C (60 min) is needed in order to lower the electrical resistivity of the LNO films to ρ≤30 mΩ cm. Pure perovskite PZT films can easily be obtained by either RTA or FA process. Furnace post-annealing process (650°C, 60 min) results in a PZT film possessing significantly better ferroelectric properties than the RTA process (650°C, 60 s). The best properties obtained are remanent polarization P r=11.8 μC/cm 2, coercive force E c=76.0 μC/cm 2 and leakage current density J L≤3×10 −6 A/cm 2 (for applied field≤200 kV/cm). Using LNO films as buffer layer does not increase the ferroelectric properties of PZT films, but significantly improves fatigue behavior.