Microwave heating origination and rapid crystallization of PZT thin films in separated H field

In the separated microwave H and E fields, the heating behaviour of a SiO₂/Si substrate was first investigated. Subsequently, the heating behaviour was further compared with the samples deposited with Pt/Ti electrodes and PZT films, respectively. It was found that PZT thin films were much more efficiently heated and crystallized in the H field than in the E field; moreover, the heating of the samples was derived mainly from the contribution of Pt/Ti and Si, which is distinct from the previous assumption about microwave dielectric heating of the E field. This unexpected foundation indicates that susceptors or high power are not necessary for microwave annealing of thin films, and furthermore, this method provides a new path for annealing any kind of thin film deposited on semiconducting or conductive substrates.