Method and apparatus for fabrication of dielectric film

A method for fabricating dielectric thin films formed of ABO.sub.3 perovskite type composite compounds, which are composed of the site A comprising at least one element from lead, barium, strontium and lanthanum, the site B comprising at least one element from titanium and zirconium, and oxygen, the method comprising the steps of:

• depositing thin films on a first plurality of substrates with a first deposition process using at least one multi-component material sputter target;
• stabilizing the crystal grains of said thin films with a stabilization process by a second deposition process having a speed of deposition less than the speed of said first deposition process;
• and
• maintaining the temperature of said substrates at a temperature from about 550.degree. C. to about 650.degree. C.,
• wherein the steps of depositing the thin films and of stabilizing the crystal grains of said thin films are repetitively performed on said substrates in a periodic and alternating manner.

A method for fabrication of dielectric thin films comprising the steps of:

• providing a sputtering chamber suitable for thin film deposition of a ferroelectric target onto a plurality of substrates as said substrates are passed over said target periodically,
• placing said ferroelectric target into said sputtering chamber in a manner allowing said ferroelectric target to be periodically passed over said substrates while maintaining the temperature of said substrates at a specified temperature suitable to form perovskite type crystalline thin films, said chamber defining a mixed atmosphere suitable to form perovskite type crystalline thin films;
• said ferroelectric target selected from the group ABO.sub.3 where A is selected from the group consisting of at least one element from lead, barium, strontium and lanthanum, B is selected from the group consisting of at least one element from titanium, zirconium and oxygen;
• depositing thin films on said substrates followed by a stabilization step to stabilize the crystal grains of said thin films, said depositing step and stabilization step repeated alternatingly on said substrates, while the temperature of said substrates is kept at said specified temperature in said mixed atmosphere wherein said thin films formed on the substrates are defined to comprise ABO.sub.3 perovskite type composite compounds.