Tunability, ferroelectric and leakage studies on pulsed laser ablated (Pb0.92La0.08)(Zr0.60Ti0.40)O3 thin films

(Pb0.92La0.08)(Zr0.60Ti0.40)O3 (PLZT 8/60/40) thin films were fabricated on LNO/Si<100> substrates by using a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique and with in-situ crystallization. The kinetics of the subsequent pyrochlore-perovskite crystallization was found to be oxygen pressure dependent in the deposition process. Conditions for obtaining phase pure, perovskite thin films using LaNiO3 (LNO) as a bottom electrode were optimized. X-ray diffraction measurements showed well-crystallized PLZT 8/60/40 thin films on a layer of LNO which served as both a template to deposit PLZT 8/60/40 on it as well as to use as a conducting bottom electrode. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) image indicates the effect of oxygen background pressure on the morphology of the films and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) images are used to corroborate the same. Voltage dependent capacitance study was used for the measurement of tunability in PLZT 8/60/40 thin film and was found to be 80%. Well saturated polarization vs. electric field (P-E) hysteresis loop with a remnant polarization (Pr) of ∼13.3 μC/cm2 was observed. Leakage current studies were also done for PLZT 8/60/40 thin films.