PZT-based piezoelectric composites via a modified sol-gel route

A novel hybrid sol-gel approach is developed to prepare composite PZT films in the thickness range 1-20 μm at relatively low sintering temperatures (<600°C). In this approach, a dip-coating method (thickness < 5 μm) is used to deposit films from a sol-gel solution with dispersed PZT powder. Thicker films (> 5 μm) are fabricated using sedimentation of the PZT powder onto Pt-coated Si substrates with a subsequent multiple infiltration of powder coatings with PZT sol-gel solution. Dielectric and ferroelectric properties of thick films are studied and discussed in the framework of existing models of composites.