A study of piezoelectric orthorhombic Ta2O5

In 1985 it was first reported that monoclinic Ta2O5 has piezoelectric properties comparable to ZnO. In this work we report on the deposition, characterization, and qualitative assessment of the piezoelectric behavior of orthorhombic Ta2O5. Reactive magnetron sputtering was used to deposit thin films of Ta2O5 onto substrates of 316L stainless steel. Without substrate heating the crystallinity was poor. A rapid thermal anneal improved the crystallinity. The orthorhombic phase was dominantly present on all substrates. The piezoelectric property was qualitatively assessed, including a high temperature test at 650 °C.