Dielectric spectroscopy of Pb0.92La0.08Zr0.52Ti0.48O3 films on hastelloy substrates with and without LaNiO3 buffer layers

Pb0.92La0.08Zr0.52Ti0.48O3 (PLZT) films were deposited by sol-gel synthesis on Hastelloy substrates with and without a LaNiO3 buffer. The dielectric properties were measured as a function of temperature and frequency to study the cause of dielectric degradation in PLZT films directly on hastelloy substrates. These measurements indicated an increased charge carrier activity in films without a buffer layer. We propose that a region of the film closer to the substrate surface is more oxygen deficient than the bulk and is responsible for the degradation in properties rather than the presence of a low parasitic secondary-phase interfacial layer such as NiOx.