Role of Non-180° Domain Switching in Electrical Properties of Pb(Zr0.35, Ti0.65)O3 Thin Films

Abstract

Pb(Zr0.35, Ti0.65)O3 (PZT) thin films were deposited on platinum-coated silicon substrate at deposition temperatures ranging from 350°C to 580°C by pulsed metal organic chemical vapor deposition. The deposition temperature dependence of the film orientation was precisely determined by employing X-ray diffraction reciprocal space mapping and was compared to the remanent polarization obtained from polarization-electric field (P–E) hysteresis measurement. It was found that the film orientation changed from strong {111} to strong {100} with decreasing the deposition temperature and the ratios of the obtained remanent polarizations of the film were consistently explained by the estimated ratios of the remanent polarizations calculated from the film orientations assuming that non-180° domains are strongly pinned and do not contribute to the obtained remanent polarization. The films deposited below approximately 400°C showed smaller remanent polarizations than those expected from the film orientations and this is attributed to the presence of an amorphous phase and the reduction of grain size.