Thin film colossal dielectric constant oxide La2-xSrxNiO4: Synthesis, dielectric relaxation measurements, and electrode effects

We have successfully synthesized the colossal dielectric constant oxide La2-xSrxNiO4 in thin film form by reactive cosputtering from metallic targets and careful annealing protocols. Composition and phase purity was determined through energy dispersive spectra and x-ray diffraction, respectively. The dielectric constant exceeds values of over 20 000 up to 1 kHz and the activation energy for the frequency-independent conductivity plateau was extracted to be approximately 155 meV from 300 to 473 K, both in agreement with measurements conducted on bulk single crystals. However, unlike in single crystals, we observe early onset of relaxation in thin films indicating the crucial role of grain boundaries in influencing the dielectric response. ac conductivity at varying temperatures is analyzed within the framework of the universal dielectric law leading to an exponent of approximately 0.3, dependent on the electrode material. Impedance spectroscopy with electrodes of different work function (Pt, Pd, and Ag) was further carried out as a function of temperature and applied bias to provide mechanistic insights into the nature of the dielectric response. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3528161]