Novel single-source precursors for the fabrication of PbTiO3, PbZrO3 and Pb(Zr1−xTix)O3 thin-films by chemical vapor deposition

Abstract

Lead titanate, lead zirconate, and lead zirconate titanate (PZT) films in the sub-μm-range were produced at temperatures around 400 °C using novel single-source precursors in a classical thermal CVD process. The design of two bimetallic alkoxide compounds, a lead titanate and a lead zirconate source with almost identical physical properties and complement miscibility, resulted in a new quasi-single-source PZT precursor, an azeotropic mixture that evaporates at 30 °C and at a pressure of 4 × 10⁻¹ mbar. After thermal treatment at 650 °C, transparent (100)-oriented PZT films with remnant polarization of 20 μC cm⁻² and a coercive field strength of 20 V μm⁻¹ were achieved. An additional lead source is not required.