Thin films of PbZr0,52Ti0,48O3 (PZT) for applications in piezoelectric actuators were
deposited by the pulsed laser deposition technique (PLD) over Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates. The effect
of different electrode and PZT deposition and processing conditions on the ferroelectric and
piezoelectric properties of the devices was investigated. X-Ray diffraction results showed that the
deposition temperature for the electrodes had a strong influence on the PZT orientation; the increase
in the electrode deposition temperature changes the PZT orientation from random or (111) to (001)
depending also on PZT deposition pressure. From scanning electron microscope (SEM) pictures
one could also observe that the deposition pressure affects the porosity of the PZT films, which
increases with the pressure above 1×10-1 mbar for films deposited at room temperature. The
measurement of the ferroelectric hysteresis curves confirmed that the structural changes induced by
different processing parameters affected the ferroelectric properties of the material. The best
ferroelectric properties including fatigue endurance were obtained for electrodes made at high
temperature and for PZT deposited at 2×10-2 mbar and heat treated at 675°C for 30 minutes in an
oxygen atmosphere. The piezoelectric coefficient d33, measured using a Michelson interferometer,
had values in the range between 20 and 60 pm/V, and showed a strong dependence on the thickness
of the PZT films.
Retraction Note to: The effect of deposition pressure on the material properties of pulsed laser deposited BaAl2O4:Eu2+, Dy3+ thin films
