IMF2017

Lead Zirconate Titanate (PbZr_xTi_1-xO₃) (PZT) is an inorganic ceramic processed at high temperature, and it crystallizes in perovskite cubic structure in its paraelectric phase where Pb²⁺ ions occupy the cube corners, Zr⁴⁺/Ti⁴⁺ ions are at the body center and O^2- ions are at the face center positions. Below the Curie temperature, depending on the compositional ratio of Zr/Ti and crystallographic structure, it deforms to rhombohedral (Zr rich) or tetragonal (Ti rich) structure. It has been found that the saturation polarization and piezoelectric coefficient of PZT ceramics are around 40 μC/cm² and 500 pC/N respectively near the morphtrophic phase boundary (MPB). In the present work, ferroelectric large area (20 mm x 30 mm) PZT thin films were grown on (111) oriented Pt coated Si (001) substrate using off-axis pulsed laser deposition (PLD) with a beam-rastering mechanism. In this mechanism, a focused laser beam sweeps across the rotating target which covers the entire 2 inch target surface area. The phase purity of the film was confirmed from X-ray diffraction study. Root means square (RMS) surface roughness of PLD grown PZT thin film were determined to be ~ 5.0 nm using atomic force microscopy. The electrical characterization i.e polarization vs electric field mapping of the PZT thin films was carried out using ferroelectric loop tracer with gold (Au) as top electrode and piezo force microscopy (PFM). . Results will be presented and discussed in detail.