TY - RPRT TI - Crystallization of sol-gel derived lead zirconate titanate thin films in argon and oxygen atmospheres AB - Electron diffraction and high-resolution electron microscopic techniques are applied to reveal the mechanisms of crystallization of 75 nm thin films of ferroelectric lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT). Sol-gel methods, followed by pyrolysis at 350 deg C, were used to provide a common starting point after which a variety of rapid-thermal annealing (RTA) experiments in the temperature range 400-700 deg C were made in argon, oxygen and nitrogen/hydrogen atmospheres. The results are interpreted in terms of the crystal chemical analysis, which points out that partial pressure of oxygen and heating rate are important experimental parameters which must be controlled if ferroelectric perovskite-type Pb{sub 2}ZrTiO{sub 6}, rather than pyrochlore-type Pb{sub 2}ZrTiO{sub 6+x}, where O < X < 1 or -1 < X < O, is to be obtained after the RTA step. Thus significant improvements in the crystallization of perovskite-type PZT were clearly demonstrated by using argon atmospheres for the RTA step. The results have significance for the production of high-quality ferroelectric thin films, with improved switching and fatigue characteristics, since even small amounts of the pyrochlore phase prove detrimental for these properties. 18 refs., 1 tab., 10 figs. AU - "Bursill, L A [Melbourne Univ., Parkville, VIC (Australia). School of Physics]" AU - "Brooks, K G [Ecole Polytechnique Federale, Lausanne (Switzerland)]" KW - "36 MATERIALS SCIENCE" KW - "PZT" KW - "CRYSTALLIZATION" KW - "SOL-GEL PROCESS" KW - "ANNEALING" KW - "CUBIC LATTICES" KW - "ELECTRON DIFFRACTION" KW - "ELECTRON MICROSCOPY" KW - "EXPERIMENTAL DATA" KW - "FERROELECTRIC MATERIALS" KW - "OXYGEN" KW - "PYROLYSIS" KW - "STRUCTURAL CHEMICAL ANALYSIS" KW - "TEMPERATURE DEPENDENCE" KW - "THIN FILMS" KW - "360201" KW - "360202" KW - "PREPARATION AND FABRICATION" KW - "STRUCTURE AND PHASE STUDIES" DO - https://doi.org/ UR - PB - CY - Australia PY - 1994 DA - 1994-12-31 LA - English J2 - [] VL - C1 - Melbourne Univ., Parkville, VIC (Australia). School of Physics C2 - C3 - UM-P-93/98 C4 - C5 - OSTI; NTIS (US Sales Only); INIS L3 - Other Information: PBD: [1994] ER -