Lead zirconate titanate

About: Lead zirconate titanate is a research topic. Over the lifetime, 7141 publications have been published within this topic receiving 150878 citations.

Crystallization of sol-gel derived lead zirconate titanate thin films

Abstract: Thin films of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) have been prepared by the sol‐gel processing method using metal alkoxides. The crystallographic and morphological properties of the films have been analyzed by x‐ray diffraction and scanning electron microscopy. The elemental composition of the films was determined by Rutherford backscattering, electron microprobe, and Auger electron spectroscopy, and was compared to that of the precursor solution characterized by inductively coupled plasma spectrophotometry. Results are presented which illustrate the relationships between the properties and the observed structure of the thin films, with the processing conditions. The electrical properties, dielectric constant, and ferroelectric hysterisis response were tested to determine the quality of the films. The experimental observations suggest two competing mechanisms during the PZT formation: lead loss out of the film, and nucleation of the PZT phase with its subsequent crystallization.

Poling of hard ferroelectric PZT ceramics

Abstract: Poling of hard ferroelectric ceramics is not an easy process. Pinning of domain walls due to defects prevents the material to be switched by moderate conditions of poling. In this paper, we try to explore a way to facilitate the poling process by defeating the counteracting defects in lead zirconate titanate (PZT). We focus on the structural and electrical effects that enhance the domain mobility, as reflected by hysteresis loops. Increased mobility leads to depinched hysteresis loops and consequently to easier poling and eventually to better piezoelectric properties. Different poling conditions were applied to ceramic samples sintered at different temperatures before and after hysteresis depinching. Dielectric parameters were measured after each poling state. The results showed that the hard ceramic can be efficiently polarized only after domain depinning, which can be done by various methods.

Ferroelectronic ram memory family for critical data storage

Abstract: Ferroelectric materials show a spontaneous electrical polarization that can be reversed in sense by an applied external electric field. It should, therefore, be feasible to build a ferroelectric memory device that can store information in digital form. Early attempts to build such a memory have failed for various reasons, the major one being a lack of a well defined and stable coercive field, which resulted in the eventual loss of data due to half-select pulses applied to unselected cells in the crosspoint array architecture. Fatigue or wear out was also a problem in that the amount of available signal depended upon the number of polarization reversals. We have been able to overcome these problems by a combination of design innovations and process/materials breakthroughs. We have chosen PZT (lead zirconate titanate) as the basic ferroelectric material and integrated it into a standard 1.5μ CMOS process. PZT has a wide temperature range (+ 350°C Curie Temperature), low coercive voltage, high specific polar...