Fabrication of (Ba-Sr)Bi4Ti4O15 powders and thin films by metal organic solution routes

(Sr,Ba)Bi4Ti4O15 powders were prepared by a metal organic decomposition (MOD) method. The thermal decomposition of the air-stable precursor solutions was studied using thermal analysis and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Thin films of (Sr,Ba)Bi4Ti4O15 have been deposited on Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si substrates by spin-coating of the obtained precursor solutions. Phase formation, crystallite size and morphology of the thin films were investigated by X-ray diffraction and electron microscopy (EM). It is shown that monophasic (SrBa)Bi4Ti4O15 phases with good crystallinity can be obtained in the form of thin films. Regarding the microstructure and the crystallographic orientation of the films, the role of the composition of the precursor solutions as well as the heating rate and the influence of the presence of a seeding layer on the platinum bottom electrode is discussed. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.