Strain-Imaging Observation of Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 Thin Films

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Abstract
This paper describes Strain-Imaging observation, using a tunneling acoustic microscope, of lead-zirconate-titanate (PZT) thin films. Strain Imaging detects fine strains generated by the tip voltage in piezoelectric films. This method reveals piezoelectric properties nondestructively with high spatial resolution and is suitable for the characterization of PZT materials for microelectric devices. In Pb(Zr0.5Ti0.5)O3 grown by rf magnetron sputtering, we have observed different properties between round grain structures, so-called “rosettes”, where PZT crystallines have grown from the same cores. This fact shows that not only grain size but also the size of rosettes and the fluctuation of its composition are important factors in the production of homogeneous PZT films.