Piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties of 1-μm-thick lead zirconate titanate film fabricated by a double-spin-coating process

Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) films were deposited on platinized silicon substrates by spin coating using PZT sols containing polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as an additive. Single-layered 1-μm-thick PZT films with 60∕40 composition were fabricated using two successive spin coatings followed by a single heat treatment step. The crack formation was effectively suppressed by the presence of nanosized pores which were generated during the heat treatment. The film has a preferred orientation corresponding to the (100) crystallographic direction. The ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of the specimen were comparable to those of a film with same composition and thickness but prepared by the conventional sol-gel procedure.