Low-temperature synthesis of single-phase lead zirconate titanate thin film with a nm-seeding technique

Ferroelectric lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin films containing crystalline seeds of barium strontium titanate (BST) nanoparticles were prepared by the complex alkoxide precursor method on indium titanium oxide (ITO) glass electrodes. The PZT films approximately 500nm thick at BST particle concentrations of 0-34.2mol% were fabricated with a spin-coating method and annealed at various temperatures. A non-seeded PZT film was crystallized into a perovskite structure by annealing at 500°C. The seeding with the BST particles promoted crystalline growth of PZT perovskite around the seeds, and lowered the crystallization temperature of the PZT films to 420°C.