Sol-gel synthesis of crack-free thin films of calcium lead titanate

Calcium modified lead titanate ferroelectric thin films were prepared using the modification of the diol sol-gel system. The films prepared are crack-free. Single layer films up to similar to 0.5 mu m thick could be prepared from 0.6 M sols; thicker films up to similar to 3.5 mu m could be prepared from multiple deposition procedure using ten coating of 0.4 M sol. Firing the precursor films at a temperature of similar to 650 degrees C induced crystallization to the perovskite phase. The polarization-electric field response of the films were examined. Initially the films of various compositions in the system Pb1-xCaxTiO3 up to x 0.3 showed a wide variation in electrical properties across each film.