COMBINATORIAL PREPARATION AND FERROELECTRIC PROPERTIES OF COMPOSITIONALLY GRADIENT PZT THIN FILMS

Using a combinatorial synthesis process, compositionally gradient PZT thin films were conveniently prepared by a chemical solution decomposition (CSD) method. The thin films showed a perovskite structure with (111)-preferred orientation and a thickness of around 450 nm. The surface morphology and ferroelectric properties were significantly different, depending on the direction of compositional gradient. The detailed composition and gradient of the composition was seen to affect the property of compositionally gradient PZT thin films. The gradient thin film PZT654, with a Zr:Ti ratio of 6:4 at the bottom of the film nearest to the substrate, and with an total composition around the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB, x = 0.52) showed favorable ferroelectric properties. However, no typical offset of the hysteresis loops was observed in our work.