Influence of the synthesis method on the microstructural properties of Ta modified AgNbO3 ferroelectric thin films

Abstract

Lead-free Ag(Nb0.80Ta0.20)O3 (ANT) thin films were synthesized via a chemical solution deposition process by the spin-coating technique. The effect of two different heat-treatment methods on the structural and microstructural properties was systematically investigated. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy results revealed that the orthorhombic perovskite structure was successfully obtained for the film crystallized by the conventional heat-treatment cycle. Secondary phases, however, associated with (Nb,Ta)2O5, Ag8(Nb,Ta)26O69, Ag2(Nb,Ta)8O21, Ag2(Nb,Ta)4O11 phases and metallic Ag ion were detected for the rapidly annealed film. The surface microstructure is noticeably influenced by the crystallization method, revealing a change in the morphology of the grains for the studied samples. The expected cationic and oxygen stoichiometries, as well as the homogeneity of microstructure in-depth, were confirmed using the Rutherford backscattering. The nanoscale ferroelectric response has been investigated from piezoelectric force microscopy analysis, detecting a clear domain structure for the studied ANT films.