Sol-gel-hydrothermal growth of oxide thin films at low temperatures

Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) (Pb(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3) and barium titanate (BaTiO3) thin films have been successfully prepared using a novel sol-gel- hydrothermal (SG-HT) technique at low temperatures, which involves a combination of the conventional sol-gel process and a hydrothermal method. Highly (111)-oriented PZT thin films with a single perovskite phase and polycrystalline BaTiO thin films with well developed crystallites were obtained at a processing temperature as low as 1600C. The microstructural characteristics demonstrate that the SG-HT-derived PZT and BaTiO3 thin films with good crystallinity and surface morphology are converted from the amorphous phase to the desired perovskite phase on platinum-coated and bare silicon substrates at a low processing temperature of 100-200 C. These results suggest that the SGHT technique, which is of great significance because of its low processing temperature, will become a potential and promising process for fabricating PZT, BaTiO3 and other oxide thin films.