ABSTRACT Chemical solution deposition (CSD) techniques were used to prepare lead zirconate (Zr) titanate (Ti) (PZT) thin films with Zr/Ti ratios of 30/70 and 52/48. Usually CSD processing is restricted to making crack-free, single-layer films of 70-nm thick, but modifications to the sol-gel process have permitted the fabrication of dense, crack-free, single layers up to 200 to 300 nm thick, which can be built-up into layers up to 3-μm thick. Thicker PZT films (>2-μm single layer) can be produced by using a composite sol-gel/ceramic process. Knowledge of the electroactive properties of these materials is essential for modeling and design of novel micro-electromechanical systems (MEMS) devices, but accurate measurement of these properties is by no means straightforward. A novel, double-beam, common-path laser interferometer has been developed to measure the longitudinal (d33) piezoelectric coefficient in films; the results were compared with the values obtained by Berlincourt and laser scanning vibrometer methods. It was found that, for thin-film samples, the d33,f values obtained from the Berlincourt method are usually larger than those obtained from the interferometer and the vibrometer methods; the reasons for this are discussed.
Digital Object Identifier 10.1109/TUFFC.2006.175
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