Structural, dielectric, and ferroelectric properties of PbTiO3 thin films by a simple sol–gel technique

PbTiO3 (PT) thin films were prepared on various substrates by a simple sol–gel technique. The surface morphology and crystal structure, dielectric, and ferroelectric properties of the thin films were investigated. The orientation of PT thin films on Pt/Ti/Si substrates can gradually change with the annealing temperature from a-axis preferential orientation to c-axis preferential orientation. The PT films on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates have a bi-axis preferential orientation, whereas the films on LaNiO3/SiO2/Si substrates are randomly oriented due to the random orientation of LaNiO3 (LNO) electrode. The dielectric constant, dissipation factor, remanent polarization, coercive field are found to be 143, 0.032, 21.45 μC cm−2, and 115.3 kV cm−1, respectively, for the thin films on Pt/Ti/Si, and 115, 0.022, 17.1 μC cm−2, and 132.1 kV cm−1, respectively, for the thin films on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates annealed at 600 °C, whereas the remanent polarization and coercive field of PT films on LNO/SiO2/Si substrates annealed at 650 °C are 27.345 μC cm−2 and 71.1 kV cm−1, respectively.