Lead-zirconate titanate (PZT) nanoscale patterning by ultraviolet-based lithography lift-off technique for nano-electromechanical systems applications

The advantage of using lead zirconate-titanate (PbZr_0.54Ti_0.46O₃) ceramics as an active material in nano-electromechanical systems (NEMS) comes from its relatively high piezoelectric coefficients. However, its integration within a technological process is limited by the difficulty of structuring this material with submicrometer resolution at the wafer scale. In this work, we are developed a specific patterning method based on optical lithography coupled with a dual layer resist process. The main objective is to obtain sub-micron features by lifting off a 100 nm thick PZT layer while preserving the material´s piezoelectric properties. A subsequent result of the developed method is the ability to stack several layers with a lateral resolution of few tens of nanometers, which is mandatory for the fabrication of NEMS with integrated actuation and read-out capabilities.