Abstract
The AlN thin films synthesized by reactive sputtering process were adopted as buffer layer for suppressing the interaction between PZT and the substrate materials, where the PZT thin films were coated by metallo-organic decomposition method. The PZT thin films are polycrystalline with randomly oriented grains, regardless of the texture characteristics of the AlN thin films. PZT thin films (∼200 nm) deposited on AlN-buffercd Pt(Si) or Si substrate exhibited good electrical properties; the MIM-structured PZT(200 nm)/AlN(5 nm)/Pt(Si) thin films show extremely small leakage current density (J <sub>L</sub> < 10 <sup>-7</sup> A/cm <sup>2</sup> ) for an applied field smaller than 625 kV/cm, with remanent polarization Pr = 13.5 μC/cm <sup>2</sup> and coercive field EC = 283.7 kV/cm; whereas the MIS-structured PZT(200 nm)/AlN(5 nm)/Si thin films show large voltage sweeping capability, ±20 V, without breakdown, resulting in large memory window (1.1 V).