Ferroelectric properties of highly (111) oriented Pb(Zr _0.4Ti _0.6)O ₃ thin films fabricated using sol-gel process

The well-crystallized and highly (111)-oriented Pb(Zr _0.4Ti _0.6)O ₃(PZT) thin films were prepared using sol-gel process. The P-V curves and switching current characteristics of PZT thin films were investigated as a function of annealing temperature. With increasing the annealing temperature from 400°C to 700°C, the P-V hysteresis loop became more rectangular shaped, the remnant and saturated polarizations increased, and the activation field decreased. The remnant polarization (P _r) of the film annealed at 400°C and 700°C was 23 μC/cm ² and 29 μC/cm ², respectively. The switching current behavior depending on the annealing temperature was successfully observed. The value of activation field (a) decreased from 422 ±27 kV/cm to 339 ±28 kV/cm with increasing the annealing temperature. These ferroelectric properties of highly (111)-oriented PZT films were discussed in terms of the change in the grain size and domain configuration.