Effect of Nb Doping on Highly {100}-Textured PZT Films Grown on CSD-Prepared PbTiO₃ Seed Layers

Abstract

Effect of Nb doping in the range of 0∼4 at% on 1 μm thick highly {100}-textured Pb_1.1(Zr_0.52,Ti_0.48)O₃ films has been investigated. Texturing of {100} as high as 97% is obtained for all the films due to the incorporation of a few nanometers thick Pb_1.05TiO₃ seeding layer. Overall, maximum polarization, remanent polarization, squareness, and coercivity decrease with Nb doping level. The PZT film with 3% Nb shows the maximum effective transverse piezoelectric coefficient −e _31,f of 12.9 C/cm², which is 5∼15% higher than those films with other doping levels.

Keywords:

• PZT
• Nb
• doping
• piezoelectric film
• transverse piezoelectric coefficient

Acknowledgments

One of the authors (Jian Zhong) thanks the Materials Science Program at The University of Alabama (UA at Tuscaloosa, AL) for financial support during part of this work. The authors also thank the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) for sponsoring the project (contract No. 99-G-015). The work was also partially supported from the startup funds (Sushma Kotru) provided by ECE/COE, UA. We also acknowledge the Central Analytical Facility (CAF) and Center for Materials for Information Technology (MINT) at UA for structural characterization facilities.