Microstructure and electrical properties of PbZr0.48Ti0.52O3 ferroelectric films on different Pt bottom electrodes

Abstract Pt/Ti bottom electrodes were prepared using UHV electron beam evaporation and DC-sputtering, respectively. The changed morphologies of Pt/Ti bottom electrodes with heating treatment temperature will greatly affect morphology of PZT films. The dense columnar grain structure and textured growth behavior were observed in the Pt/Ti electrodes prepared by electron beam evaporation. Pt/Ti film prepared by electron beam evaporation is more continuous and stable than that by DC-sputtering at high temperature. The hillock formation in some parts of Pt/Ti films by electron beam evaporation with heating treatment only resulted in some columnar protrusion on PZT thin film surface, and a rosette-type microstructure was not observed regardless of the temperature of heat treatment. The microstructure of a DC-sputtered Pt/Ti film will greatly change with annealing temperature and lead to the formation of a rosette-type microstructure of PZT film. For the Pt/Ti film annealed at 800°C, large spherical hillocks and deep hollows formed and made the microstructure of PZT film look like blooming rosette. The PZT films on the electron-beam evaporated Pt/Ti bottom electrode have better microstructure, ferroelectric, and fatigue properties than that on the DC-sputtered Pt/Ti electrode.