Effect of thickness on the electrical and optical properties of Sb doped SnO2 (ATO) thin films

This work reports the preparation and characterization of (SnO2) thin films doped with 7 mol% Sb2O3. The films were prepared by the polymeric precursor method, and deposited by spin-coating, all of them were deposited on amorphous silica substrate. Then, we have studied the thickness effect on the microstrutural, optical and electric properties of these samples. The microstructural characterization was carried out by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning tunneling microscopy (STM). The electrical resistivity measurements were obtained by the van der Pauw four-probe method. UV-visible spectroscopy and ellipsometry were carried out for the optical characterization. The films present nanometric grains in the order of 13 nm, and low roughness. The electrical resistivity decreased with the increase of the film thickness and the smallest measured value was 6.5 x 10(-3) Omega cm for the 988 nm thick film. The samples displayed a high transmittance value of 80% in the visible region. The obtained results show that the polymeric precursor method is effective for the TCOs manufacturing.

Preparation of 9/65/35 PLZT thin films deposited by a dip-coating process

Crack-free polycrystalline PLZT (Pb,a)(Zr,Ti)O-3 thin films with the perovskite structure were prepared by dir-coating using the Pechinis process. Lead acetate, hydrated lanthanum carbonate, zirconium n-propoxide and titanium isopropoxide were used as raw materials. The viscosity of the solution was adjusted in the range of 20 to 56 cP and the films were deposited by a dip-coating process on silicon (100) as substrate. Solutions with ionic concentration of 0.1 and 0.2 M were used. Thin film deposition was accomplished by dipping the substrates in the solution with control of withdrawal speed from 5 to 20 mm/min. The thin films were thermally treated in two steps: at 300 degreesC amid 650 degreesC. The influence of withdrawal speed. viscosity, heating rate and ionic concentration on the morphology of PLZT thin film was discussed. (C) 2001 Elsevier B.V. Ltd. All rights reserved.

The effect of Nb doping on ferroelectric properties of PZT thin films prepared from polymeric precursors

Pure and Nb doped PbZr0.4Ti0.603 thin films was prepared by the polymeric precursor method and deposited by spin coating on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si (100) substrates and annealed at 700 degreesC. The films are oriented in (1 1 0) and (1 0 0) direction. The electric properties of PZT thin films show strong dependence of the crystallographic orientation. The P-E hysteresis loops for the thin film with composition PbZr0.39Ti0.6Nb0.103 showed good saturation, with values for coercive field (E-c) equal to 60 KV cm(-1) and for remanent polarization (P-r) equal to 20 muC cm(-2). The measured dielectric constant (epsilon) is 1084 for this film. These results show good potential for application in FERAM. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Influence of temperature on the dielectric and ferroelectric properties of bismuth titanate thin films obtained by the polymeric precursor method

The (1 1 7) and (0 0 1 0)-oriented Bi4Ti3O12 thin films were fabricated on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates by using a polymeric precursor solution under appropriate crystallization conditions. Atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy showed relatively large grains, which is typical for this system. The capacitance dependence on voltage is strongly non-linear, confirming the ferroelectric properties of the films resulting from the domain switching. The (1 1 7)-oriented films exhibited a higher remanent polarization (23.7 μ C cm(-2)) than the (0 0 1 0)-oriented films (11.8 μ C cm(-2)). Fatigue tests revealed that the temperature of thermal treatment and degree of orientation affect the performance of the device. © 2005 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Synthesis, ferroelectric and optical properties of (Pb,Ca)TiO3 thin films by soft solution processing

Calcium modified lead titanate sol was synthesized using a soft solution processing, the so-called polymeric precursor method. In soft chemistry method, soluble precursors such as lead acetate trihydrate, calcium carbonate and titanium isopropoxide, as starting materials, were mixed in aqueous solution. Pb0.7Ca0.3TiO3 thin films were deposited on platinum-coated silicon and quartz substrates by means of the spinning technique. The surface morphology and crystal structure, dielectric and optical properties of the thin films were investigated. The electrical measurements were conducted on metal-ferroelectric-metal (MFM) capacitors. The typical measured small signal dielectric constant and dissipation factor at a frequency of 100 kHz were 299 and 0.065, respectively, for a thin film with 230 nm thickness annealed at 600degreesC for 2 h. The remanent polarization (2P(r)) and coercive field (E-c) were 32 muC/cm(2) and 100 kV/cm, respectively. Transmission spectra were recorded and from them, refractive index, extinction coefficient, and band gap energy were calculated. Thin films exhibited good optical transmissivity, and had optical direct transitions. The present study confirms the validity of the DiDomenico model for the interband transition, with a single electronic oscillator at 6.858 eV. The optical dispersion behavior of PCT thin film was found to fit well the Sellmeir dispersion equation. The band gap energy of the thin film, annealed at 600degreesC, was 3.56 eV. The results confirmed that soft solution processing provides an inexpensive and environmentally friendly route for the preparation of PCT thin films.

Thin films prepared from tungstate glass matrix

Vitreous samples containing high concentrations of WO3 (above 40% M) have been used as a target to prepare thin films. Such films were deposited using the electron beam evaporation method onto soda-lime glass substrates. These films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), perfilometry, X-ray energy dispersion spectroscopy (EDS), M-Lines and UV-vis absorption spectroscopy. In this work, experimental parameters were established to obtain stable thin films showing a chemical composition close to the glass precursor composition and with a high concentration of WO3. These amorphous thin films of about 4 mu m in thickness exhibit a deep blue coloration but they can be bleached by thermal treatment near the glass transition temperature. Such bleached films show several guided modes in the visible region and have a high refractive index. Controlled crystallization was realized and thus it was possible to obtain WO3 microcrystals in the amorphous phase. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Piezoelectric behavior of SrRuO(3) buffered lanthanum modified bismuth ferrite thin films grown by chemical method

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Dielectric properties of soft chemical method derived CaCu3Ti4O12 thin films onto Pt/TiO2/Si(100) substrates

Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq)

Problems related to the employment of thin uranium films as neutron dosimeters

Thin uranium films built on muscovite mica basis and obsidian samples having known ages were irradiated with thermal neutrons at the IPEN/CNEN reactor, São Paulo. Comparing thin film performance with the obsidian one, it was observed that the latter feel a greater neutron fluence. Nominal fluences at the used facility are in agreement with the results obtained analysing the obsidian samples. A probable hypothesis to explain this disagreement, namely, the uranium loss from the thin films, was ruled out. © 1995.

Structural, dielectric and ferroelectric properties of Nb-doped PZT thin films produced by oxide precursor method

Recently, was proposed a chemical method for preparation of ferroelectric thin films based on oxide precursors. In this work, PZT thin films were prepared to attest the viability of this method for cation-substitution. In this study, a small concentration of Nb (5 mol%) was selected as substitute of B-site in ABO 3 structure of PZT. Dielectric and ferroelectric properties of PZT films were studied as a function of cation-substitution. Results for Nb-PZT were compared with PZT films undoped. The values of dielectric constant, at typical 100 kHz frequency, were 358 and 137, for PZT and Nb-PZT films respectively. Remanent polarizations of these films were respectively 7.33 μ C/cm 2 and 13.3 μ C/cm 2 , while the measured coercive fields were 101 kV/cm and 93 kV/cm. As a result, changes on observed dielectric and ferroelectric values confirm the Nb substitution in PZT thin film produced by oxide precursor method. © 2002 Taylor & Francis.