Thin films of ${\mathrm{Pb}}_{0.76}{\mathrm{Ca}}_{0.24}{\mathrm{TiO}}_3$ (PTC), which is a classical ferroelectric as a bulk material and of the relaxor material $\mathrm{Pb}\left({\mathrm{Sc}}_{0.5}{\mathrm{Nb}}_{0.5}\right){\mathrm{O}}_3$, have been produced to find out whether nanocrystalline ferroelectric films show a grain-size-induced relaxor behavior. Amorphous films were deposited onto a $\mathrm{Ti}∕\mathrm{Pt}$ coated silicon (100) wafer by reactive $\text{rf}$ sputtering. Different grain sizes were prepared by a controlled annealing process and they were determined by profile analysis of x-ray diffraction spectra. Temperature dependent Raman spectroscopy was used to look for phase transitions, symmetries, and stresses. Temperature and frequency dependent dielectric measurements as well as hysteresis loops show strong evidence for relaxor properties in the nanocrystalline PTC films. The different results confirmed the grain-size-induced relaxor behavior in nanocrystalline ferroelectric films.

• Received 14 May 2003

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevB.69.214106