Sol-gel synthesis of textured lanthanum titanate thin films

Control over crystallographic orientation in thin films is important, particularly with highly anisotropic structures. Because of its ferroelectric nature, the layered perovskite La₂Ti₂O₇has interesting piezoelectric and electrooptic properties that may be exploited when films are highly textured. Sol-gel films with an orientation factor of greater than 95% were fabricated without relying on epitaxial (lattice-matching) growth from the substrate. Film orientation and crystallization were confirmed by x-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, atomic force microscopy, and optical measurements. The particle sizes in all precursor solutions were measured by dynamic light scattering experiments. Experimental results indicate that film orientation is a function of precursor solution concentration, size of the molecular clusters in the solution, and film thickness.