SEM and PFM Study of Submicron PZT Films near Morphotropic Phase Boundary.

Submicron ferroelectric PZT films deposited on the Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si substrate by RF magnetron sputtering and annealed at 530–570 °C consisted of spherulitic blocks with crosswise size of ~5-40 μm. The films composition corresponded to morphotropic phase boundary. The spherulite sizes, excess lead oxide content, the dielectric constant, self-polarization, and residual polarization changed with the increase of films annealing temperature. It is assumed that high values of self-polarization in thin films are determined by effective screening of the spontaneous polarization by conducting intergranular space occupied by the lead oxide. [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]