Chee-Sung Park

Bioactive nanocomposite coatings of collagen/hydroxyapatite on titanium substrates

Collagen/hydroxyapatite (HA) nanocomposite thin films containing 10, 20, and 30xa0wt.% HA were prepared on commercially pure titanium substrates by the spin coating of their homogeneous sols. All of the nanocomposite coatings having a thickness of ∼7.5xa0μm exhibited a uniform and dense surface, without any obvious aggregation of the HA particles. A minimum contact angle of 36.5° was obtained at 20xa0wt.% HA, suggesting that these coatings would exhibit the best hydrophilicity. The in vitro cellular assays revealed that the coating treatment of the Ti substrates favored the adhesion of osteoblast-like cells and significantly enhanced the cell proliferation rate. The cells on the nanocomposite coatings expressed much higher alkaline phosphatase (ALP) levels than those on the uncoated Ti substrates. Increasing the amount of HA resulted in a gradual improvement in the ALP activity. The nanocomposite coatings on Ti substrates also exhibited much better cell proliferation behaviors and osteogenic potentials than the conventional composite coatings with equivalent compositions, demonstrating the greater potential of the former as implant materials for hard tissue engineering.

Piezoelectric and ferroelectric properties of 1-μm-thick lead zirconate titanate film fabricated by a double-spin-coating process

Lead zirconate titanate (PZT) films were deposited on platinized silicon substrates by spin coating using PZT sols containing polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as an additive. Single-layered 1-μm-thick PZT films with 60∕40 composition were fabricated using two successive spin coatings followed by a single heat treatment step. The crack formation was effectively suppressed by the presence of nanosized pores which were generated during the heat treatment. The film has a preferred orientation corresponding to the (100) crystallographic direction. The ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of the specimen were comparable to those of a film with same composition and thickness but prepared by the conventional sol-gel procedure.

Enhanced ferroelectric properties of Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 films by inducing permanent compressive stress

This study examined the effects of permanent residual compressive stress on the ferroelectric properties of PbZrxTi1−xO3 (PZT) films that was induced during cooling after annealing. PZT films were deposited on the tensile side of elastically bent silicon substrates by rf magnetron sputtering using a single oxide target. Compressive stress was induced on the film by removing the substrate from the holder immediately after annealing. The compressive stress effectively compensated for the inherent tensile stress that had developed during cooling. The ferroelectric properties were enhanced markedly by the induced stress; the remnant polarization and the saturation polarization increased by 35% and 24%, respectively, while the coercive field did not change much. Contrary to the ferroelectric properties, the dielectric properties decreased slightly by the stress.

Orientation control of lead zirconate titanate film by combination of sol-gel and sputtering deposition

Highly oriented lead zirconate titanate (PZT) films were fabricated on a platinized silicon substrate using a combination of sol-gel and radio frequency (RF) magnetron sputtering deposition methods. A sol-gel derived PZT layer highly oriented to the (100) plane was deposited as a seed layer, and PZT with the same composition then was deposited on the seed layer by RF-magnetron sputtering. The film deposited on the seed layer showed a strong (100) preferred orientation, while the film deposited without the seed layer showed a (111) preferred orientation. Furthermore, a thick PZT film of up to 4 μm was able to be deposited without cracks by using the seed layer. The piezoelectric property of the (100) oriented film was much better than that of the (111) oriented film.

Orientation control of sol-gel-derived lead zirconate titanate film by addition of polyvinylpyrrolidone

Highly (100)and (111)-oriented lead zirconate titanate (PZT) films with a thickness of 350 nm were deposited on platinized Si substrates through a single spinning of a PZT sol containing polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) as an additive. The crystallographic orientation of the film was strongly influenced by pyrolysis conditions after spin coating. When the spin-coated sol was pyrolyzed at temperatures above 320 °C for relatively long periods of time (>5 min), (111)-oriented film was formed after annealing at 700 °C for 10 min. On the other hand, when the same sol was pyrolyzed at 320 °C for short periods of time (<5 min), the film was strongly oriented to the (100) direction after annealing. Organic residues derived from PVP decomposition acted as nucleation sites for the (100) oriented grains during annealing after the pyrolysis. The effective d33 of the (100)-oriented PZT film (100 pC/N) was much higher than that of the (111)-oriented film (62 pC/N) with the same thickness.

Effects of lanthanum nitrate buffer layer on the orientation and piezoelectric property of Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 thick film

Highly oriented Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) films were deposited on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates by the sol-gel method using lanthanum nitrate as a buffer layer. When the lanthanum nitrate buffer layer was heat treated at temperatures between 450 and 550 °C, the PZT layer coated onto this buffer layer showed a strong (100) preferred orientation. Regardless of the other deposition conditions, such as the pyrolysis temperature, pyrolysis time, annealing temperature and heating rate, the film deposited on the buffer layer had this orientation. Thick films were also fabricated using the sol-gel multi-coating method, and the (100) texture was found to be maintained up to a thickness of 10 m. The ferroelectric hysteresis and piezoelectric coefficient (d33) of highly oriented PZT thick films were characterized, and the (100) oriented PZT film showed higher piezoelectric property than the (111) oriented film.

Thick Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 film without substrate

In order to fabricate thick PbZrxTi1−xO3 (PZT) films for microelectromechanical system applications, the authors introduce a concept of freestanding film without a substrate. PZT films with a thickness of up to 20μm were deposited on a very thin Pt layer without a substrate by the rf-magnetron sputtering method using a single oxide target. The Pt layer (thickness <1μm) was obtained by sputtering the Pt on a Si substrate with a carbon layer between them, and subsequently removing the carbon layer by oxidation in air at 400°C. Piezoelectric properties of the film were comparable to those of bulk PZT as a result of the removal of clamping effect of the substrate.

Growth of highly (100) oriented lead zirconate titanate films on silicon and glass substrates using lanthanum nitrate as a buffer layer

Highly oriented lead zirconate titanate [Pb(Zr,Ti)O3; PZT] thin films were deposited on Pt∕Ti∕SiO2∕Si and glass substrates by the sol-gel method using lanthanum nitrate as a buffer layer. When the lanthanum nitrate buffer layer was annealed at temperatures between 450 and 550°C, the PZT layer coated onto this buffer layer showed strong (100) orientation. The film deposited on the buffer layer had this orientation, regardless of the other deposition conditions, such as the pyrolysis temperature, pyrolysis time, annealing temperature, and heating rate. The lanthanum nitrate buffer layer also acted as a very effective diffusion barrier against Pb–Si interdiffusion, thus allowing for the direct deposition of PZT films on Si, SiO2∕Si, and glass substrates. Using this buffer layer, highly oriented PZT film was fabricated stably and reproducibly, regardless of substrate material and the coating conditions. The nature of the lanthanum nitrate buffer layer and its role in the growth of the highly (100) oriented PZ...

Ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of highly oriented Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 film grown on Pt/Ti/SiO 2 /Si substrate using conductive lanthanum nickel nitrate buffer layer

The orientation and electrical properties of Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 thin films deposited on a Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrate using lanthanum nickel nitrate as a conductive buffer layer were analyzed. The lanthanum nickel nitrate buffer layer was not only electrically conductive but also effective in controlling the texture of the lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thin film. The role of the lanthanum nickel nitrate buffer layer and its effects on the orientation of the PZT thin film were analyzed by x-ray diffraction, electron beam back-scattered diffraction, and scanning electron microscopy. The annealed lanthanum nickel nitrate buffer layer was sufficiently conducting for use in longitudinal electrode configuration devices. The dielectric, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties of the highly (100) oriented PZT films grown with the lanthanum nickel nitrate buffer layer were measured and compared with those of (111) and (100) oriented PZT films deposited without a buffer layer.

Thick Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 films fabricated by inducing residual compressive stress during the annealing process

The effects of residual stress induced during the annealing process on the microstructural evolution and electrical properties of Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) films were investigated. PZT films were deposited on platinized silicon substrates by the radio frequency magnetron sputtering method using a single oxide target. Compressive stress was induced in the film by bending the silicon substrate during sputtering using a specially designed substrate holder and subsequently annealing the film without the holder. Without the residual stress, the PZT film was severely cracked when it was thicker than 2 m due to the thermal expansion mismatch between the PZT and the Si substrate. On the other hand, when the residual stress was applied, no cracks were detected in the film for thicknesses of up to 4 m. The suppression of crack formation was attributed to the residual compressive stress that compensated for the tensile stress generated during and/or after the annealing process. The electrical properties of the PZT film with the residual stress were improved compared to those of the PZT film without the residual stress.