Magnetism and ferroelectricity

Crystallization of thin polycrystalline PZT films on Si/SiO$_2$/Pt substrates

I. P. Pronin^a, E. Yu. Kaptelov^a, S. V. Senkevich^a, V. A. Klimov^a, N. V. Zaitseva^a, T. A. Shaplygina^a, V. P. Pronin^b, S. A. Kukushkin<sup>c

a</sup> Ioffe Institute, St. Petersburg
^b Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, St. Petersburg
^c Institute of Problems of Mechanical Engineering, Russian Academy of Sciences, St. Petersburg

Abstract: This paper reports on a study of crystallization of thin lead zirconate-titanate films deposited on Si/SiO$_2$/Pt substrates by RF magnetron sputtering at a low temperature and annealed at 540–580$^\circ$C. In this temperature interval, one observes successively two first-order phase transitions: the low-temperature pyrochlore phase–perovskite-I phase and perovskite-I phase-perovskite-II phase transitions, which are accompanied by film volume shrinkage. The phase transformations have been studied by atomic force microscopy, scanning electron microscopy, X-ray diffraction and visual (optical) observation of the growth of islands of a new phase. It has been found that the dielectric parameters undergo substantial changes upon the transition from phase I to phase II. The origin of the observed effects has been discussed.

Received: 01.06.2009

 English version: Physics of the Solid State, 2010, 52:1, 132–136

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