Synthesis and properties of barium titanate thin films on copper substrates

Barium titanate thin films have been deposited on copper foils in the absence of interfacial layers via a chemical solution process. The dielectric - base metal stacks have been processed in reductive atmospheres such that substrate oxidation is avoided while allowing the perovskite film phase to crystallize. This accomplishment has facilitated the pursuit of a new embedded capacitor technology offering compatibility with polymer printed wiring boards and capacitance densities in excess of 2.5 μF/cm². This represents a distinct improvement beyond conventional foil-based capacitor strategies. Finally, two critical phenomena will be discussed: (1) the effect of grain size on the dielectric properties of barium titanate thin films and (2) the effect of the B-site substituent Zr on the lattice, microstructure, and dielectric properties. Most importantly, high processing temperatures have allowed for microstructural and dielectric properties similar to well-prepared bulk ceramics, including average grain diameters greater than 0.1 μm, relative permittivities in excess of 2000, and coercive fields below 10 kV/cm. These properties will be discussed in the context of bulk ceramic and thin film reference data and with regard to integration into printed wiring boards.