Highly oriented lead zirconium titanate thin films: Growth, control of texture, and its effect on dielectric properties

Highly oriented lead-zirconium-titanate (PZT) thin films have been grown by reactive rf-magnetron sputtering using multielemental metallic targets. The effects of deposition parameters on the film composition and texture evolution have been established. The partial pressure of oxygen (O₂) and the heating rates during postdeposition anneal have been identified as critical parameters for the growth of highly oriented (111) and (100) PZT films. In order to control the growth of (111) and (100) orientation it was important to understand the interplay between these two parameters. Texture evolution mechanisms for the growth of oriented films have been proposed based on the effect of O₂/argon flow and heating rates on the crystallization kinetics. The effects of crystal orientation on the dielectric and ferroelectric properties of PZT films have also been investigated.