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A Study Of Piezoelectric Orthorhombic Ta2O5, B. R. Jooste, Hendrik J. Viljoen

Hendrik J. Viljoen Publications

In 1985 it was first reported that monoclinic Ta₂O₅ has piezoelectric properties comparable to ZnO. In this work we report on the deposition, characterization, and qualitative assessment of the piezoelectric behavior of orthorhombic Ta₂O₅. Reactive magnetron sputtering was used to deposit thin films of Ta₂O₅ onto substrates of 316L stainless steel. Without substrate heating the crystallinity was poor. A rapid thermal anneal improved the crystallinity. The orthorhombic phase was dominantly present on all substrates. The piezoelectric property was qualitatively assessed, including a high temperature test at 650 °C.