Modified Pechini Processing of Barium and Lanthanum-Lithium Titanate Nanoparticles and Thin Films

Barium-strontium titanate (BST) Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 and lanthanum-lithium titanate (LLT) La0.5Li0.5TiO3 nanopowders and thin films have been obtained via the modified Pechini route. Polyesterification and complexation processes of gel formation have been examined. Hypothetical models of coordinative polymers formed in sol-gel system have been suggested. It has been shown that BST and LLT solid solutions form in one step at relatively low temperature. X-ray diffraction confirms that the final products, which are single phases and have cubic shape, are formed at 600 and 700 °C for BST and LLT respectively. It has been found that use of thermal shock as pretreatment allows to increase the density of BST- and LLT-based thin films.