Microstructural and electrical properties of 0.65Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–0.35PbTiO3 (PMN–PT) epitaxial films grown on Si substrates

Epitaxially grown PMN–PT thin films using the PMN–PT single crystal targets were prepared at 550 °C on appropriate buffer layers of LSCO/CeO2/YSZ deposited on a Si substrate using pulsed laser deposition. The micro-structural and the electrical properties of the films were investigated as a function of the film thickness. The PMN–PT films with the thickness from 200 to 600 nm exhibited an epitaxial nature with a pure perovskite structure. On the other hand, the films above 700 nm included a pyrochlore phase embedded in the perovskite structure although they exhibited an epitaxial nature. A pyrochlore phase included in the films above 700 nm thickness decreased the dielectric constant and the ferroelectric properties of the PMN–PT films.