Phase Formation Studies and Structural Properties of Laser Ablated (Pb,La)(Zr, Ti)O3-Thin-Films on Stainless Steel

Abstract

AbstractIt is shown that high-quality La-doped PZT-films, (Pb,La)(Zr,Ti)O3, can be deposited by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) directly onto stainless steel substrates resulting in a very simple bicomponental system with high potential for sensor applications. This is an astonishing result, since there is quite a substantial lattice mismatch between the substrate and the PZT-film. Careful investigations revealed the existence of a thin oriented nickeloxide layer at the surface of the stainless steel. The formation of this interface layer leads to a reduction of the lattice mismatch thus affecting the subsequent phase formation of the perovskite PZT. The interface was examined by RBS, XRD, TEM / X-TEM studies and SIMS depth profiling. The phase formation and stoichiometry of the PZT films were investigated by XRD and EDX and their microstructure and texture by SEM and XRD pole figure measurements.