Epitaxial growth of (Pb, La)TiO3 thin films on (0001) Al2O3 and (001)SrTiO3 substrates by RF magnetron sputtering

Ferroelectric lead lathanum titanate (PLT) thin films were grown by rf magnetron sputtering on (0001) Al2O3 and (001) SrTiO3 substrates, from a ceramic Pb0.9La0.1TiO3 target, in a reactive Ar/O-2 atmosphere. The surface morphology was examined by atomic force microscopy (AFM); rms roughness of 2 to 4 nm was achieved on these films. Thin film interfaces were characterized by grazing X-ray reflectometry : they were found to be relatively smooth, and no interdiffusion layer was found between the film and the substrate. The structural properties of the films were investigated by X-ray diffraction (XRD). Perovskite single phase has been achieved with a temperature of 650 degrees C. Pole figures and asymmetric scans show the epitaxial nature of the films.