Effect of Relative Humidity on the Crystallization of Sol−Gel Lanthanum Zirconium Oxide Films

The ambient relative humidity during the coating process significantly influences the crystallographic texture and microstructure of the films processed. Using Y2O3 coated biaxially textured Ni−5 atom % W substrates, we have determined that there is a threshold humidity level above which highly oriented LZO films can be processed. However, below the threshold level, a significant portion of the film grows with a random polycrystalline orientation.