Epitaxially grown Bi4Ti3O12 thin films on MgO(100) substrates were prepared by a chemical solution deposition process using metal naphthenates as the starting materials. A homogeneous Bi-Ti solution with toluene was spin-coated onto the substrates and pyrolyzed at 300 degrees C, 400 degrees C and 500 degrees C for 10 minutes in air. Final annealing was performed at 750 degrees C for 30 minutes in air. The effects of pyrolysis temperature on the crystallinity, epitaxy and surface morphology of the films were investigated. Highly c-axis oriented Bi4Ti3O12 thin films were confirmed by X-ray diffraction theta-2-theta scans. According to the pole-figure analysis, epitaxy of the annealed films was found to depend on the pyrolysis temperature.

Keywords: Bi4Ti3O12 thin film; MgO(100); pyrolysis; epitaxy