Influence of oxygen partial pressure on the properties of PZT thin film deposited by RF magnetron sputtering

Abstract

In magnetron sputtering systems, lead-zirconium-titanium oxide (PbZr1−xTixO3 or PZT) thin films were prepared in a mixture atmosphere of Ar and O2 with various oxygen partial pressures (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2% oxygen). About 600 nm PZT ferroelectric thin films were deposited on substrates, and then annealed at 600°C for 35 s. The structural, electrical and ferroelectric properties of PZT films were studied. As the oxygen partial pressure increased, the remanent polarisation rose first and went down later, and the leakage current density decreased first and then increased. At the oxygen partial pressure of 0.5%, we obtained the largest remanent polarisation and the minimum leakage current density. The XRD diffraction spectrum of all films displayed predominant (111) preferred orientation, and there was a weak XRD diffraction peak of pyrochlore phase in the PZT films deposited in pure Ar.