Sol-gel derived Ba(Mg_1/3Ta_2/3)O₃ thin films: Preparation and structure

Ba(Mg_1/3Ta_2/3)O₃ thin films were prepared by a sol-gel process involving the reaction of barium isopropoxide, tantalum ethoxide, and magnesium acetate in 2-methoxyethanol and subsequently hydrolysis, spin-coating, and heat treatment. Transmission electron microscopy, x-ray diffraction, and Raman spectroscopy were used for the characterization of the thin films. It was shown that the thin films tend to crystallize with small grains sized below 100 nm. Crystalline phase with cubic (disordered) perovskite structure was formed in the samples annealed at a very low temperature (below 500 °C), and well-crystallized thin films were obtained at 700 °C. Although disordered perovskite is dominant in the thin films annealed below 1000 °C, a low volume fraction of 1 : 2 ordering domains was found in the samples and grows with an increase of annealing temperature.