Use of Transmission Electron Microscopy for the Characterization of Rapid Thermally Annealed, Solution‐Gel, Lead Zirconate Titanate Films

Abstract

The microstructure and preferred orientations of rapid thermally annealed Pb(Zr 0.53 ,Ti 0.47 )O 3 films, deposited on Pt/Ti/SiO 2 /Si electrode/substrates by solution‐gel spinning, have been investigated using analytical and high‐resolution electron microscopy and X‐ray diffraction. The temperature of pyrolysis of the PZT films was found to influence the preferred orientation of the film: lower temperatures (350°C) favored a (111) orientation, whereas higher temperatures (420°C) favored a (100) orientation. Excess Pb was used to control the A‐site stoichiometry of the film particularly at the film surface where Pb‐deficient crystals could often be observed. The absence of these crystals was shown to be correlated with an improvement in the dielectric response.