Dielectric relaxation in pulsed excimer laser ablated amorphous zirconium titanate thin films

Amorphous zirconium titanate thin films was prepared on Pt coated silicon substrates by pulsed excimer laser ablation technique at a very low substrate temperature of 200 - 300°C in O₂ ambient. The temperature and frequency dispersion of dielectric permittivity was investigated on amorphous ZrTiO₄ thin films. These films exhibited a marked dielectric relaxation at temperatures 500 - 700 K in a frequency range of 0.1 - 100kHz. This behaviour was explained based on a dipolar relaxation. Analysis of the temperature dependence on relaxation time and electrical conductivity were done. An investigation on the correlation between mechanisms and models of the dielectric relaxation, origin of dielectric relaxation and the thermally activated motion of ionized defects in the amorphous structure are discussed.