NANOCOMPOSITE FILMS OF LEAD-ZIRCONATE-TITANATE AND METALLIC NICKEL BY SOL-GEL ROUTE

Films of composition 0.27 PbO, 0.24 ZrO2, 0.27 TiO2, 0.22 NiO, and containing micrometer sized lead zirconate titanate (PZT) crystallites and nanometer sized nickel particles have been synthesized by a sol-gel technique. Metal particles have diameters in the range 2.0-7.6 nm. The films exhibit values of dielectric constant in the range 220-410 at a frequency of 1 kHz at room temperature. The optical absorption coefficient of the films shows a peak at ∼400 nm. The peak position shifts to higher wavelengths as the metal particle size is increased. The Mie theory is used to explain the results.© 1995 American Institute of Physics.