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Transmission Electron Microscopy of Pzt Thin-Films Prepared by A Sol-Gel Technique

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  21 February 2011

Supapan Seraphin
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721
Dan Zhou
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721
G. Teowee
Affiliation:
Donnelly Corporation, 4545 Fort Lowell Road, Tucson, Arizona 85721
J.M. Boulton
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721
D.R. Uhlmann
Affiliation:
Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Arizona, Tucson, Arizona 85721
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Abstract

The microstructure of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin films prepared by a sol-gel technique was investigated using transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and transmission electron diffraction. We investigated the microstructure of three sets of thin films with different chemical compositions: PZT 53/47 films with no excess PbO; with excess PbO; and PZT 65/35 with no excess PbO. All samples were fired for 30 minutes at temperatures ranging from 400C to 700C. Incorporation of excess PbO in the 53/47 film fired at 450C resulted in polycrystalline perovskite grains with an average grain size of less than 0.1 μm. Grain boundaries are decorated by 5-10 nm diameter precipitates possibly caused by the segregation of remnant pyrochlore or excess PbO. The films have high values of dielectric constant (up to 2500) when fired at 700C. PZT 65/35 fired at 700C consists of two distinct phases: a fine-grained matrix of pyrochlore, and 10-μm diameter rosettes of perovskite. The correlations between the compositions, the microstructure of the films, and their processing conditions on the one hand, and ferroelectric properties on the other are discussed.

Type
Research Article
Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 1993

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