Characterization of Pb_{1- x}La _xTiO₃ Thin Films by the Radio Frequency Magnetron Sputtering Technique

Abstract

Microstructures and electrical properties of polycrystalline and oriented (Pb 1- x La x )TiO 3 (PLT) thin films deposited by rf magnetron sputtering using a ceramic (Pb 0.7 La 0.3 )TiO 3 target having 20 mol% excess PbO were investigated. The grain size of oriented films deposited on La 0.5 Sr 0.5 CoO 3 (LSCO)/MgO was larger than that of polycrystalline PLT films on LSCO/Pt/Ti/SiO 2 /Si substrates. The dielectric constant and the dissipation factor of polycrystalline films measured at 10 kHz were 340 and 0.014, respectively. On the other hand, the dielectric constant and the dissipation factor of oriented films were 810 and 0.08, respectively. Both the polycrystalline and the oriented PLT films deposited at 500°C exhibited a paraelectric properties. The leakage current densities of the polycrystalline and the oriented PLT films were about 8.0 × 10 -8 and 2.5 × 10 -7 A/cm 2 at 10 kV/cm, respectively.