Ferroelectric properties of Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12 thin films grown on the highly oriented LaNiO3 buffered Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates

Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12 (BLT) thin films were grown on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si and on LaNiO3 (LNO) buffered Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates using sol-gel processing. Scanning electron micrographs showed the BLT films are composed of peg-like or platelet-like grains depending upon annealing temperature and the substrate type. Large platelet grains were found in BLT films deposited on the LNO/Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates; those thin films showed better polarization-voltage, capacitance-voltage, and current-voltage characteristics. More importantly, they did not show any significant fatigue up to 2x10(10) switching cycles at a frequency of 1 MHz and electric field 85 kV/cm. (C) 2003 American Institute of Physics.