A thermally stable electrode structure for lead zirconate titanate (PZT) thick films was developed for silicon/silicon nitride substrates by incorporating titanium oxide (TiO2) as a diffusion barrier layer between a Pt electrode and the underlying Si3N4 layer. The titanium oxide was prepared by thermal oxidation of the titanium in air. Wet etching of the PZT was used as a low cost technique to make contact with the back electrode and assess its robustness. Initial results revealed bubbling in the PZT and platinum. This was found to be due to incomplete oxidation of the titanium and high compressive stresses within the Pt layer at the maximum processing temperature of 710 degreesC. It was found that titanium was optimally oxidised at 700 degreesC. Work on postannealing showed that the stress within the platinum, at the processing temperature, could be reduced by annealing at 300 degreesC. A clear and non-delaminated interface was then obtained using 350 nm of titania oxidised at 700 degreesC and 200 nm of platinum postannealed at 300 degreesC. (C) 2003 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.