Synthesis and characterization of Cu2O nanoparticle-embedded PZT thin films

DI MARCO, M. B.; ROLDÁN, M. V.; SANTIAGO, M. L.; STACHIOTTI, M. G.

Congreso; Pan American Ceramics Congress and Ferroelectrics Meeting of Americas (PACC-FMAs 2022); 2022

In this work, we develop a strategy for the incorporation of cuprous oxide (Cu2O) nanoparticles into a PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 (PZT) thin films. The Cu2O nanoparticles were synthesized by a colloidal chemistry approach, using ascorbic acid as a reducing agent and polyvinylpyrrolidone as a surfactant. Cubic-shaped nanoparticles with an edge length of ∼160nm were obtained, and a bandgap of ∼2.1eV was determined from optical measurements.PZT thin films were fabricated by a chemical solution deposition method, using acetoin as a chelating agent. The Cu2O nanoparticles were incorporated into the PZT matrix by the spin coating deposition of the colloidal suspension between PZT layers of ∼80 nm thickness. Uniform and dense films were successfully fabricated on Pt substrates. The XRD analysis showed a single-phase perovskite structure. The samples exhibited good dielectric properties and well-saturated ferroelectric hysteresis loops at 50 Hz. We showed that the ferroelectric properties of 3-layer PZT thin films are not strongly affected by the incorporation of the Cu2O nanoparticles. The direct bandgap of the thin films was slightly red-shifted by the incorporation of the nanoparticles, from 3.8eV to 3.6eV. In addition, a small absorption was found at the energy ∼2.2eV, consistent with the bandgap measured for the synthesized cuprous oxide nanoparticles.