Improved dielectric properties of lead lanthanum zirconate titanate thin films on copper substrates

Thin films of lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT) were directly deposited on copper substrates by chemical solution deposition and crystallized at temperatures of similar to 650 degrees C under low oxygen partial pressure (pO(2)) to create film-on-foil capacitor sheets. The dielectric properties of the capacitors formed have much improved dielectric properties compared to those reported previously. The key to the enhanced properties is a reduction in the time that the film is exposed to lower pO(2) by employing a direct insertion strategy to crystallize the films together with the solution chemistry employed. Films exhibited well-saturated hysteresis loops with remanent polarization of similar to 20 mu C/cm(2), dielectric constant of > 1100, and dielectric loss of < 0.07. Energy densities of similar to 32 J/cm(3) were obtained at a field of similar to 1.9 MV/cm on a similar to 1 mu m thick film with 250 mu m Pt electrodes. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.