Preparation and properties of Lanthanum lead zirconate titanate thin films by hydrothermal method

Abstract

Ferroelectric polycrystalline Lanthanum lead zirconate titanate (abbreviated to PLZT) thin films with perovskite structure were prepared by hydrothermal method. Ferroelectric polycrystalline PLZT thin films with perovskite structure on titanium substrate were obtained at 180°C for 5 hr. The film thickness was easily controlled by repeating hydrothermal method. The densities of the PLZT thin films measured by Archimedes’ method were lower than those of ceramics. We fabricated bimorph-type bending actuators using these thin films and analyzed the displacement induced by the electric field. The actuators were bent by applied voltage without poling, because the polar axis in the as-deposited these thin films were aligned in the direction from the thin films surface to the substrate. The dielectric constant of these films were about 600 at room temperature for 1 kHz.

Key Words:

• keywords:
• PLZT
• film
• hydrothermal method
• ferroelectricity
• dielectricity
• hysteresis loops