Epitaxial PMN–PT thin films grown on buffered Si substrates using ceramic and single-crystal targets

Epitaxial 0.65Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–0.35PbTiO3 (PMN–PT) thin films were deposited on LSCO/CeO2/YSZ tri-buffered Si substrate by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) using sintered ceramic and single-crystal targets. The PMN–PT films deposited using both targets were single crystalline and exhibited cube-on-cube growth epitaxy with the substrate. The films deposited using the single-crystal target showed higher crystallinity and a smoother surface morphology than those grown using the ceramic target. The crystallinity of films can be affected by the in-plane lattice mismatch of PMN–PT/LSCO interfaces. The low density and low absorption coefficient of the sintered ceramic target were responsible for the severe compositional deviation from the desired stoichiometry of the PMN–PT films. Dielectric constants of approximately 1926 and 1540 at 10 kHz were obtained for the films deposited using the single-crystal and sintered ceramic target, respectively. In addition, the PMN–PT films fabricated using the single-crystal target exhibited well-developed polarization hysteresis loops with a remnant polarization of 11.9 μC/cm2. Single-crystal targets are an indispensable candidate for the growth of epitaxial PMN–PT films with high crystallinity and good electrical properties.

► Epitaxial 0.65Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3–0.35PbTiO3 (PMN–PT) thin films deposited on buffered Si substrate using single crystal target showed a higher crystallinity and a smoother surface morphology than those grown by a ceramic target.
► The dielectric constants of approximately 1926 and 1540 at 10 kHz were obtained for the films deposited using the single crystal and the sintered ceramic target, respectively.
► The PMN–PT films fabricated using the single crystal target exhibit the well-developed polarization hysteresis loops with a remnant polarization of 11.9 μC/cm2.