Effects of Sr(Zr_(0.1)Ti_(0.9))O_3 buffer layer thickness on the crystallization and properties of PZT thin films

PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 (PZT) thin films with Sr(Zr0.1Ti0.9)O3 buffer layer were prepared using the sol-gel method. The effects of different buffer layer thicknesses on the crystallization and properties of prepared samples were investigated. The results show that (111) preferred orientation of PZT thin films is induced with a thinner buffer layer, while it is inhibited with a thicker buffer layer, that is, (111)-orientation degree decreases with the increasing of buffer layer thickness. (111)-orientation degree is 90% with single-layer buffer layer (about 20 nm), while it is only 9% with four-layer buffer layer (about 80 nm). The electrical properties of the samples vary with the buffer layer thickness obviously. The remanent polarization of the sample increases from 26.8×10–6 C/cm2 to 38.8×10–6 C/cm2 with the increasing of buffer layer thickness from 0 nm to about 20 nm.