Evaluation of PZT thin films on Ag coated Si substrates

Fabrication characteristics of hybrid thin film components are investigated. Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) films, thickness 10 μm, are fabricated by using laser ablation on the Ag electrode (about 1 μm thick) which is deposited on 200 μm Si substrates by evaporation. Composition close to the target material is obtained in PZT films even in air and without substrate heating. Low surface energy in the Ag−Si system causes spheroidization of the Ag layer on the fresh Si substrate, but the surface can be modified by grinding and oxidization. Only some cavities exist at the interface. The interface between the Ag electrode and PZT layer is physically continuous, as revealed by electron microscopy. After annealing at 750°C for 2 h, the PZT layer consists of the rhombohedral perovskite phase with a fraction of the pyrochlore phase. Detrimental interdiffusion between Pb and Si occurs during annealing if the PZT thin film is directly on the Si substrate. This is retarded by the presence of the Ag layer.