BaPbO 3 perovskite electrode for lead zirconate titanate ferroelectric thin films

BaPbO 3 (BPO) films were prepared by rf-magnetron sputtering at temperatures as low as 350 °C. These films possessed low electrical resistivity of 1.4×10−3 Ω cm, which is appropriate for electrodes. The BPO electrode has an advantage over a Pt electrode in that it lowers the crystallization temperature of Pb(Zr0.53Ti0.47)O3 (PZT) films from 600 to 550 °C. The coercive fields of the PZT films deposited on a BPO/Pt electrode are significantly lower than those deposited on the Pt electrode, but the remanent polarization remained essentially unchanged. The BPO electrode also improved the fatigue resistance and decreased the leakage current of the PZT films deposited.