Metal-organic chemical vapor deposition of ferroelectric SrBi2Ta2O9 films from a fluorine-containing precursor system

MOCVD fabrication of ferroelectric SrBi2Ta2O9 (SBT) films using Sr(hfac)(2)center dot tetraglyme, Bi(C6H5)(3), and Ta(OC2H5)(5) precursors is reported. The SBT phase has been reproducibly obtained adopting a two-step procedure, namely, the deposition of a fluorine-containing Sr-Bi-Ta-O(F) matrix followed by the annealing step at 800 degrees C. The multicomponent deposition process was optimized by tuning the overall process to individual kinetics associated with each singled-out precursor, to film morphologies and microstructures, and finally to film properties. Particular attention has also been focused on the annealing process of the deposited Sr-Bi-Ta-O(F) matrix aimed at an efficient crystallization step of the SBT phase as well as on an efficient elimination of fluorine phases associated with decomposition of the fluorinated Sr precursors.