Influence of annealing treatment on the ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of PZT thin films grown on silicon substrates by sputtering

The influence of growth conditions and post-annealing treatment on rf-magnetron sputtered lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin films has been investigated, and the structural, microstructural and electrical properties have been examined. Perovskite structure was obtained by conventional annealing as well as by Rapid Thermal Annealing (RTA). The structure and the microstructure of the films are directly related to the thermal process. The films were dense and crack-free. The ferroelectric properties and the fatigue are very sensitive to the annealing treatment. The piezoelectric properties of PZT films have been evaluated by the embedded beam method. The results show that PZT films grown by sputtering can be used to realize micro-actuators/sensors devices on silicon substrates.