Low‐Temperature Crystallization of Sol‐Gel Processed Pb0.5Ba0.5TiO3: Powders and Oriented Thin Films

Abstract

A novel sol‐gel process suitable for depositing thin‐film lead barium titanate has been developed. X‐ray diffraction analysis showed perovskite phase crystallization to occur at a temperature as low as 400°C with single‐phase Pb0.5Ba0.5TiO3 (PBT) resulting at a temperature as low as 500°C. Small concentrations of barium carbonate were evident by X‐ray diffraction at 400°C, and indications of minor, carbonate‐containing phases were evident by FTIR at 600°C. Deposition of the sol by spin coating on single‐crystal and thin‐film MgO on silicon resulted in highly oriented PBT films after calcination at 600°C. Mixed (100)/(001) films were obtained on single‐crystal MgO, whereas entirely (100) films were obtained on thin‐film MgO.