Parametric study of Y-doped BaZrO3 thin film deposited via pulsed laser deposition

This study investigates the microstructure morphologies of Y-doped barium zirconate (BZY) thin films via a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) process. BZY thin film crystallinity was investigated at different substrate temperatures in a PLD chamber. BZY thin films deposited under 0.013 mbar of oxygen pressure are highly dense regardless of the substrate temperature (25 °C ≤ T ≤ 600 °C), while those deposited at low temperature (T ≤ 200 °C) have porous structures at an oxygen partial pressure of 0.13 mbar. In addition, BZY thin films deposited at 0.26 mbar in low/intermediate temperature ranges (25 °C ≤ T ≤ 400 °C) have porous and columnar structures. Regardless of the chamber pressures, BZY thin films with dense structures can be obtained when the substrate temperature exceeds 500 °C.