Preparation of epitaxial Pb(Mg1/3Ta2/3)O3 thin film by chemical solution deposition

Abstract

Pb(Mg1/3Ta2/3)O3 (PMT) powders and heteroepitaxial thin films on (001) SrTiO3 (STO) substrates were prepared by the chemical solution deposition method. The phase development in PMT powders and thin films was investigated by x-ray diffraction, and the microstructure of PMT thin films was studied by transmission electron microscopy. Phase transformation from pyrochlore to perovskite in the PMT powder samples occurred in the temperature range of 700–800 °C, and perovskite phase was mainly observed in samples annealed above 800 °C. However, perovskite phase in PMT thin films on STO substrates was formed mainly in samples annealed as low as 750 °C/1 h, and it shows an epitaxial orientation relationship of [100](001)PMT∥[100](001)STO.