The effect of annealing on the 0.5% Ce-doped Ba(ZrxTi1-x)O3 (BZT) thin films deposited by RF magnetron sputtering system

Structure and electrical properties of Ce-doped Ba(ZrxTi1-x)O-3(BCZT) thin films with the mole fraction of x = 0.2 and the thickness of about 100 nm have been investigated. Ce-doped BZT films were prepared on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates by a RF magnetron sputtering system. X-ray diffraction patterns were recorded for the samples deposited with four different substrate temperatures. The thickness and the surface roughness of the films deposited with different Ar/O-2 ratios were measured. The oxygen gas, which was introduced during the film deposition, had an influence on the growth rate and the roughness of the film. The roughness of the sample, which was deposited with the Ar to O-2 ratio of 1:1 at the substrate temperature of 500degreesC and annealed at 600degreesC, was from 2.33 to 2.02 nm. The surface roughness of samples, deposited at different Ar to O-2 ratios, was increased after annealing. It was found that the dissipation factor was reduced when the top electrode was deposited before annealing of the samples. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.