Preparation and Characterization of Pb-Based Ferroelectric Thin Films

Abstract

PbTiO 3 thin films were prepared by newly developed “ion- and photoassisted evaporation”. The composition of the films was dependent on the substrate temperature and the evaporation rates of Pb and Ti. Controlling the evaporation rates to yield the stoichiometry, the perovskite phase formation took place merely at 500°C under the irradiation of oxygen ion. When an excimer laser beam was irradiated simultaneously with an oxygen ion beam, the perovskite phase formation took place at 325°C. This remarkable lowering of the deposition temperature was caused by ion- and photoactivation of the surface during the film growth.