Growth and characterisation of lead zirconate titanate (30/70) on indium tin oxide coated glass for oxide ferroelectric-liquid crystal display application

The growth and characterisation of sol-gel lead zirconate titanate (PZT) (30/70) thin films on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass have been investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), transmitting electron microscopy (TEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Perovskite crystallised at 550°C in a random orientation, and all films showed characteristic rosette formations. A seeding and crystallisation model has been proposed to describe the rosette formation process, which is based on the ease of PbO diffusion through the film. The effect of drying temperature on annealed film properties has been examined and when optimised has been shown to improve electrical properties and film flatness. Incorporation of the PZT films into small prototype liquid crystal displays has been done. Application of pulsed poling voltages to the displays has resulted in bulk alignment of the liquid crystal adjacent to poled regions of the PZT layer which remained after the poling voltages were removed.