Homogeneity issues in chemical solution deposition of Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 thin films

Chemical solution deposition (CSD) methods for ferroelectric thin films make higher reliability and lower processing temperatures feasible. Different reactivities of the constituent transition metal alkoxides may decrease the homogeneity on the molecular level in the ceramic precursors during the synthesis and subsequent processing steps: deposition of the film, drying, consolidation and crystallization of the target ferroelectric phase.In the 2-methoxyethanol based synthesis of Pb(Zr0.53Ti0.47)O3, a selective modification of the reactive Zr alkoxide by acetic acid results in a more homogeneous distribution of constituent metal atoms in the sol as compared to the sol prepared from the as-received Zr-propoxide. The improved chemical homogeneity is reflected in the improved functional response of the films.