Epitaxial PbZrO3 films from chemical solutions†

Abstract

Lead zirconate (PbZrO₃) stands out as the prototypical antiferroelectric material, often studied for its applications in link capacitors and actuators. However, the conventional fabrication of single crystal films necessitates costly vacuum techniques and face scalability challenges. Exploiting scalable solution-based methods could unlock their full potential at reduced costs. Here, a chemical route for the preparation of high-quality single-crystal PbZrO₃ thin films on Nb-doped SrTiO₃ substrates is presented. Films with different thicknesses were grown and their structure was characterized by X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy. Metal–insulator–metal capacitors were built to study their electrical switching characteristics. An unexpected ferroelectric-like switching is observed in 170 nm-thick film, while antiferroelectric-like switching is observed in 680 nm-thick films. The presence of ferroelectric-like switching is associated with the defect formation during the high-temperature annealing of the films.