Piezoelectric and electromechanical properties of relaxor ferroelectric Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3(65%)–PbTiO3(35%) thin films observed by scanning force microscopy

Relaxor ferroelectric PbMg1/3Nb2/3O3(65%)–PbTiO3(35%) (PMN–35PT) thin films were grown by a sol–gel method on Pt(1 1 1)/TiO2/SiO2/Si(1 0 0) substrates. Piezoresponse and poling behavior appear to have a relation with the relaxor behavior of the materials. Piezoelectric images were studied in a number of regions on the films with subsequent statistical analysis of the obtained data using the contact mode of scanning force microscopy. Hysteresis loops were observed with external field applied over a wide range of the vibration frequency. The piezoelectric coefficient, d33, and the crystallographic electrostrictive constant, Q33, were also determined as 100 pm/V and 2.8×10−3 C−2 m4, respectively.