Robust ferroelectricity enhancement of PZT thin films by a homogeneous seed layer

With its excellent ferroelectric properties such as large dielectric constant and large remanent polarization, PZT thin films are extensively used in micro-sensors and other devices. In this study, the sol–gel process was used to fabricate Pb(Zr 0.52 Ti 0.48 )O 3 thin films with Pb(Zr x Ti 1– x )O 3 seed islands. The experimental consequences demonstrate that all the Pb(Zr 0.52 Ti 0.48 )O 3 thin films with Pb(Zr x Ti 1− x )O 3 seeds show pure perovskite phase with no other impurity phases, and the electrical properties of Pb(Zr 0.52 Ti 0.48 )O 3 thin films modified by Pb(Zr x Ti 1– x )O 3 seed islands with different Zr/Ti ratios are improved, such as remanent polarization increased, dielectric properties increased, coercive electric field decreased, leakage current density decreased. In particular, the electrical properties of the Pb(Zr 0.52 Ti 0.48 )O 3 thin films with Pb(Zr x Ti 1– x )O 3 seed islands are the most optimal when the x is 0.52. This paper provides a new technique for optimizing the electrical properties of PZT thin films, which is of great significance for breaking through the bottleneck of the development of ferroelectric memory. Graphical abstract