Direct patterning of photosensitive chemical solution deposition PZT layers

A highly concentrated solution for producing photopatternable layers of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) was prepared by dissolving into acrylic acid an amorphous PZT powder which was obtained by a sol-gel process. The solution was found to be suitable for spin-coating PZT layers that are photosensitive to UV radiation. After deposition and subsequent exposure the PZT film showed a decreased solubility in several organic compounds. These properties were exploited to create features on platinised silicon (Si) substrates. A thermogravimetric analysis was performed on the solution to determine the best thermal profile for the burn out of the organics. PZT features up to 2 μm thick were obtained after the firing process.