Microstructural characterisation of sol-gel derived PLZT(9.5/65/35) thin films

Abstract

Abstract Sol-gel derived PLZT (9.5/65/35) thin films were spin-coated on Si(100)/Pt and MgO(100) substrates and fired under different conditions. During the thermal treatment at temperatures above 700° C, monocrystalline textured PLZT perovskite rosettes surrounded by fine-grained Zr-rich pyrochlore grains were formed. The chemical composition of the perovskite and pyrochlore phases was studied using quantitative EDXS analysis. It was found that in all samples the Zr/Ti ratio in the composition of the perovskite phase decreased in comparison with the starting composition. In the pyrochlore phase in the samples on Si(100)/Pt substrate, the ZrTi/PbLa and Zr/li ratios increased and the Pb/La ratio decreased with increasing firing temperature and time. The grain size of pyrochlore particles was constant (10nm) in all cases, while the rosette size and volume fraction of the perovskite phase increased with increasing firing temperature and time.