Effect of Test Capacitor Design on the Piezoelectric Response of Sol-Gel-Derived PZT Thin Films

The PbO solution was prepared using lead acetate trihydrate (PbC4H6O4·3H2O, 99.9%) as the lead source, with glacial acetic acid (C2H4O2, 99.8%) and ethylene glycol methyl ether (C3H8O2, 99.5%) as solvents, and acetylacetone (C5H8O2, 99.5%) as a chelating agent. The synthesis was carried out at 130 °C. For the TiO2 solution, titanium isopropoxide (C12H28O4Ti, 98%) was used as the titanium precursor, along with ethylene glycol methyl ether and glacial acetic acid as solvents, and acetylacetone as the chelating agent; this preparation was conducted at room temperature.

The PZT solution was formulated using zirconium n-propoxide (C12H28O4Zr, 70%), titanium isopropoxide, and lead acetate trihydrate as raw materials, with glacial acetic acid and isopropanol (C3H8O2, 99.5%) as solvents. The prepared PZT solution and the mixed solution of PbO and TiO2 are both deposited onto the Si/Pt substrate using spin-coating: first at 500 rpm for 5 seconds for uniform spread, followed by 5000 rpm for 30 seconds to achieve a thin layer.