Comparison of the microstructures and ferroelectric characteristics of sputter deposited PZT films with and without lead or lead oxide for compensation

PZT thin films were deposited on Si/SiO2/Ti/Pt substrate using a dual-target system. A combination of a PZT (PbZr0.54Ti0.46O3) single target, Pb/PZT (PbZr0.54Ti0.46O3) dual targets and PbO/PZT (PbZr0.54Ti0.46O3) dual targets, was used to reveal the effects of adding various lead source materials, on the microstructure and ferroelectric characteristics. Power delivery to the lead source and the deposition temperatures were investigated with respect to the microstructure and ferroelectric characteristics of the deposits. The success in depositing perovskite PZT films using a Pb/PZT and PbO/PZT dual-target sputtering system presents the possibility of processing windows of substrate temperature between 500 °C and 580 °C. Structural change as a function of deposition conditions and lead sources correlated with ferroelectric characteristics.