Title: Development of Multi-Layered Composite PZT Thin Films using Sol-Gel and Sputtering Process
Abstract: This paper describes the development of novel PZT thin films for active sliders in hard disk drives. So far, it is common that single-layered thin films are used as micro-actuators for conventional PZT thin films such as sol-gel or sputtered thin films. In this study, however, the novel composite PZT thin films are developed. In other word, the feature is that sol-gel PZT thin film is deposited on sputtered PZT thin film fabricated on Pt/Ti bottom electrode. These multi-layered composite PZT thin films are found to have the higher (111) preferred orientation as well as better P-E hysteresis loop characteristics than not only sol-gel PZT thin films but also sputtered PZT thin films. Furthermore, the piezoelectric strain constant d_<31> for the novel PZT thin films is identified to be 189×(10)^<-12>m/V. This value is 2.0 times higher than that for conventional PZT thin films and it is found that the novel PZT thin films have good piezoelectric properties.