Effects of Sol Viscosity on Properties of BST Thin Films Prepared by Sol-Gel Method

A series of BST(Ba0.65Sr0.35TiO3) sol with different viscosity were prepared by using Ba(CH3COOH)2, Sr(CH3COOH)2 and Ti(OC4H9)4 as raw materials. The BST thin films were fabricated by sol-gel method and spin-coating process on Si(100) substrates. The effect of sol viscosity on crystallization, microstructure and dielectric properties of BST thin films were analyzed by using X-ray diffractometry, scanning electron microscopy and impedance phase analyzer. The results show that the BST films coated by sol with viscosity of 3.0cp and annealed at 750°C for 1h are basically non-crystalline. The crystallization degree increases with the increase of sol viscosity at the same annealing temperature. The ABO3 perovskite structure is formed when the sol viscosity increases to 3.5cp. With further increasing sol viscosity to 6.0cp, the crystal grains of the film grow well and range very compact, the surface become smooth, and the films have optimal dielectric properties.