Thickness effect on electrical properties of Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 thick films embedded with ZnO nanowhiskers prepared by a hybrid sol–gel route

Silicon-based lead zirconate titanate thick films embedded with zinc oxide nanowhiskers (ZnOw–PZT) were prepared by a hybrid sol–gel route. ZnOw–PZT films with thickness from 1.5 μm to 4 μm are perovskite structure and have smooth surface without any cracks. As the thickness increases, the remanent polarization and dielectric constant increase, but the coercive field and tetragonality decrease. Compared with PZT films, the ZnOw–PZT film has the close tetragonality and electrical properties which are different from those of bulk PZT-based ceramic doped with ZnO powder. The thickness dependences of the ferroelectric and dielectric properties are attributed to the relaxation of internal stress.