Electrical characterization of sol-gel derived PZT thin films

Thin films of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) were deposited on a variety of substrates using the sol-gel process. These included Pt/Ti/SiO/sub 2//Si, RuO/sub 2//SiO/sub 2//Si, RuO/sub 2//MgO, Pt/MgO, and Pt/Ti/MgO. Epitaxial, oriented, and polycrystalline films were obtained after annealing at 700 degrees C for 10 min. Polycrystalline PZT films with RuO/sub 2/ as top and bottom electrodes showed superior hysteresis and fatigue behavior as compared to such films on Pt. Epitaxial films on Pt/MgO and Pt/Ti/MgO displayed excellent fatigue behavior and large remnant polarization as compared to their polycrystalline counterparts on Pt/Ti/SiO/sub 2//Si. The results suggest that different fatigue mechanisms may be simultaneously operating.<>