Improved electrical properties of sputtering Pb1.10(Zr0.52,Ti0.48)O3/Pb1.25(Zr0.52,Ti0.48)O3 multilayer thin films

Multilayer PZT thin films composed of Pb-1.10(Zr0.52,Ti0.48)O-3 and Pb-1.25(Zr0.52,Ti0.48)O-3 films were deposited on Pt(111)/Ti/SiO2/Si(100) substrate coated by Pb-1.10(Zr0.52,Ti0.48)O-3 buffer layer using RF magnetron sputtering. The effect of variation of layer numbers of Pb-1.10(Zr0.52,Ti0.48)O-3 and Pb-1.25(Zr0.52,Ti0.48)O-3 thin films in multilayer PZT films was investigated. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis indicates all PZT films possess pure perovskite phase and (111) preferred orientation. For multilayer thin films, dense perovskite microstructures without obvious defects were observed using scanning electron microscope (SEM). Optimal dielectric properties with a epsilon(r) of 1092 and a tan delta of 0.04 at 1 kHz were obtained in the PZT film with the maximum layer numbers (8-layer film, namely L-8). Well-saturated P-E was observed in L-8 film by a standard ferroelectric test system (P-r = 26.1 mu C/cm(2), E-c = 60.1 kV/cm). Moreover, a Lower leakage current density (J = 5.49 x 10(-6) A/cm(2) at 117 kV) was achieved in sample L-8.