Piezoelectrics

Deposition of piezoelectric thin films has been achieved by many different methods. Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) is a versatile technique for the growth of complex multicomponent materials in thin film form with oriented or epitaxial structure. The growth of piezoelectric thin films by PLD involves the identification of the optimum set of growth parameters for obtaining the right stoichiometry, good crystalline structure, and electrical properties. The physical properties of piezoelectric thin films depend on many parameters, including composition, crystalline structure, orientation, film thickness and microstructure, internal stress, presence of secondary phases, dopants, interface layers, misfit strain and so forth. Recently, progress in the growth of piezoelectric thin films has been made due to the development of new tools for compositional, structural, morphological, and electrical characterization. These include techniques such as scanning force microscopy (SFM) and piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) in investigating nanoscale piezoelectric and ferroelectric behavior. In this review the most important aspects of the PLD deposition of piezoelectric thin films are discussed. The structural, dielectric, and piezoelectric properties of the most important piezoelectric materials in thin-film form are reviewed. Finally their applications, with some examples, are presented.