Ferroelectric thin film fabrication by direct UV-lithography

Due to their use in the fields of sensors, energy harvesting, capacitors and FeRAMs the fabrication of microstructured ferroelectric thin films is an important research field. Therefore a modified sol---gel process chain has been developed to produce fine patterned ferroelectric PZT (PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3) thin films by direct UV-lithography. A sol based on methacrylic acid was developed to provide a photosensitive metal organic PZT precursor. The sol was used to obtain photosensitive xerogel films by spin-coating, which were patterned using conventional UV-photolithography equipment. After development the patterned xerogel films were pyrolized and crystallized in air via rapid thermal annealing in order to obtain crystalline PZT thin films. The patterned PZT films were investigated by XRD technique and SEM-micrographs. Finely patterned, crack free, crystalline PZT thin films were obtained.