Low leakage current and enhanced ferroelectric properties of Ti and Zn codoped BiFeO3 thin film

BiFeO3 (BFO), Ti (2%)-doped BFO (BFTO), Zn(2%)-doped BFO (BFZO), as well as Ti (1%) and Zn (1%)codopedBFO (BFTZO) films were deposited on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates by using a metal organic decomposition process. Well saturated P-E hysteresis loops can be obtained in BFZO and BFTZO films due to their lower leakage currents compared to those of BFO and BFTO films. In comparison with BFZO film, BFTZO film exhibits a much larger remanent polarization (P-r similar to 84 mu C/cm(2)), a lower coercive field similar to 2E(c) similar to 570kV/cm), as well as stronger charge-retaining ability and fatigue resistance. These phenomena can be explained based on the formation of the defect complexes between the acceptors and oxygen vacancies in the films. (c) 2008 American Institute of Physics.