Characterization of barium titanate ceramic/ceramic nanocomposite films prepared by a sol-gel process

Abstract

Barium titanate (BaTiO₃) ceramic/ceramic nanocomposite thick films (∼16μm) for ultrasonic transducer applications were prepared by a modified sol-gel process. Nano-sized BaTiO₃ powder was dispersed in a sol-gel matrix of BaTiO₃ to form a composite solution. Films were prepared by spin coating and then annealed at various temperatures. The crystallization of the composite film was studied by X-ray diffraction. The dielectric permittivity and the ferroelectric properties of the film were also measured.