Growth of PLZT Thick Films by Polymer Modified Sol-Gel Processing for Optical Shutting

PLZT9/65/35 thick films were prepared from the solution containing PVP360 (polyvinylpyrrolidone, with average molecular weight of 360000). With the solutions, the critical thickness of a single PLZT layer could increase to ~624nm compared with 77nm-thick films prepared without PVP360. Furthermore, by adding 20~35% excess of Pb to the precursor solutions, the nano-porous rosette-like structures and a small amount of pyrochlore remnant, which were found very common in the PVP-modified films, could be eliminated. 35% Pb excess was also found to initiate liquid-phase sintering, leading to dense and crack-free films. The effect of Pb excess on the rosette removal and densification behavior of the films was discussed. Moreover, the optical and electrical properties of the PLZT films with 35% Pb excess were also studied.