9632707 Sands A 12 month comprehensive investigation of microstructures-processing-property-performance relationship in integrated ferroelectric (Pb,La)(Zr,Ti)O3 capacitors is undertaken. A capacitor layer structure with metallic ruthenate (SrRuO3-RuO2-Ru) electrodes and a conductive TiN diffusion barrier on poly-Si/Si and low-stress Si-N (LSN)/Si substrates will be studied in the context of applications to Gbit-scale nonvolatile memory and piezoelectric membranes for sensors and actuators in MicroElectroMechanical Systems (MEMS). The objectives of the proposed research include: i) development of a model of microstructure-processing-property relationships based on observed constitutive relationship between processing variables, microstructural characteristics, and the resultant properties (e.g., remnant polarization, coercive field, breakdown field, piezoelectric coefficients, dielectric permittivity and loss tangent); ii) determination of failure mechanisms and conditions, including the factors that affect the electrical continuity from the substrate to the bottom electrode; iii) direct in situ observation of non-180o domain wall motion and ferroelastic behavior in the transmission electron microscope, and the relationship between the in situ observations and ex situ studies of electrical poling behavior at elevated temperature. ***
