Pulsed laser deposition of Sm modified PbTiO3 ferroelectric thin films

Sm modified PbTiO³ thin films have been prepared by pulsed laser deposition on Pt/TiO₂/SiO₂/(100)Si substrates. It has been found that the Sm concentration of the films remains close its concentration in the target, however, a Pb loss exists during the deposition process. To compensate for the Pb loss we used Pb rich targets and an oxygen pressure of 0.1 mbar. Films deposited at 530°C are crystalline and preferentially oriented with the 100] film direction perpendicular to the substrate surface. In comparison to bulk ceramics, the films have a tetragonal distortion lower than that expected from their Sm concentration. This is likely due to the influence of the substrate. The films prepared are ferroelectric with aP_r = 3.2 μC/cm².