Pyroelectricity of Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 films grown by sol–gel process on silicon

•Functional oxide films are grown by low-cost sol–gel process and spin-coating.•Pyroelectric Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 films are integrated in planar capacitor structure on Si.•Bulk intrinsic pyroelectric coefficient is measured: ‐ 300 μC/m2K.•Converted pyroelectric energy is estimated: 6 mJ/cm3 per 10 °C thermal cycle.•Direct measurements of pyroelectricity are done on integrated oxide thin films.

Pyroelectric Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 films have been grown by sol–gel process on Si(001). Intrinsic pyroelectric coefficient has been measured through ferroelectric loops recorded at different temperatures and is about − 300 μC/m2K. Corresponding converted pyroelectric power density is estimated to be ~ 1 mW/cm3 for a temperature variation of 10 °C every 6 s. Pyroelectric response of these films has been confirmed by direct measurements of the pyroelectric current with temperature variations at zero electric field. These results are of high interest for integrated thermally-sensitive devices.