Rapid crystallization of sol-gel-deposited lead zirconate titanate thin films by 2.45 GHz microwave irradiation

Pb(Zr0.5Ti0.48)O-3 (PZT) thin films were coated onto Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates by a sol-gel method and then crystallized by 2.45 GHz microwave irradiation in a magnetic field. The crystalline phases and microstructures as well as the electrical properties of the microwave-irradiated PZT films were investigated as a function of the elevated temperature generated by microwave irradiation. The perovskite PZT thin films with good electrical properties could be obtained by microwave irradiation at 650 C for 60 s. The average values of the remanent polarization and the coercive field of the PZT films were approximately 27 mu C/cm(2) and 95 kV/cm, respectively, whereas the dielectric constant and loss value measured at 1 kHz were approximately 1100 and 0.18. respectively. It is clear that microwave irradiation is effective for obtaining well-crystallized PZT films with good properties in a short process time.