An Infrared Study of PZT Nanoislands

• Published in: Ferroelectrics 2008-01, Vol.368 (1), p.139-144
• Main Authors: Železný, V., Szafraniak, I., Alexe, M., Hesse, D.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Condensed matter: structure, mechanical and thermal properties; Dielectric, piezoelectric, ferroelectric and antiferroelectric materials; Dielectrics, piezoelectrics, and ferroelectrics and their properties; Exact sciences and technology; Lattice dynamics; Nanocrystals and nanoparticles; Niobates, titanates, tantalates, pzt ceramics, etc; Optical properties and condensed-matter spectroscopy and other interactions of matter with particles and radiation; Optical properties of low-dimensional, mesoscopic, and nanoscale materials and structures; Phonons in low-dimensional structures and small particles; Physics
• ISSN: 0015-0193; 1563-5112
• DOI: 10.1080/00150190802368297

PZT (40/60) nanoislands were prepared on (001) MgO substrates by chemical solution deposition. This method allows to prepare uniform and good-quality structures and to tune their size. The structures were characterized by electron microscopy and AFM. It was found that the islands were about 20 nm high and their lateral size was about 100 nm. We measured the infrared reflectance of these samples in the far and mid infrared range from 30 to 2000 cm − 1 , and a bare MgO substrate as reference. The temperature dependence of the spectra and soft mode parameters were studied to understand physics beyond the size effect. Spectral features in their spectra can be fitted by the model of damped harmonic oscillators and related to infrared active phonons of PZT. Temperature dependence of the absorption feature at 431 cm −1 shows characteristics typical for the soft mode.