Published online by Cambridge University Press: 31 January 2011
The influence of the Ti/Ba ratio on the formation of pyroelectric and piezoelectric quasi-amorphous BaTiO3 films was investigated. Three types of films, Ti-rich, Ba-rich, and stoichiometric, were pulled through a temperature gradient or subjected to isothermal heating. The quasi-amorphous polar phase only formed in films pulled through the temperature gradient with Ti/Ba ratio within the broad range of 0.95–1.1. This implies that quasi-amorphous pyroelectric and piezoelectric thin films are significantly more tolerant of a deviation from stoichiometry than their crystalline counterparts.