Characterization of lanthanum-doped bismuth titanate thin films prepared by polymeric precursor method

Lanthanum-modified bismuth titanate, Bi4-xLaxTi3O12 (BLT), with x ranging from 0 to 0.75 was grown on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates using a polymeric precursor solution and spin-coating method. The dielectric constant of highly doped bismuth titanate was equal to 148 while dielectric losses remained low (tan delta = 0.0018), and the films showed well-saturated polarization-electric field curves (2P(r) = 40.6 muC/cm(2) and V-c = 0.99 V). The leakage current densities improve for the lanthanum-doped system. For five-layered BLT films with x = 0.75, a charge storage density of 35 fC/mum(2) and a thickness of 320 nm were found. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

SrBi2(Ta0.5Nb0.5)(2)O-9 : W thin films obtained by chemical solution deposition: Morphological and ferroelectric characteristics

The effect of tungsten (W6+) ion substituting on dielectric and ferroelectric behavior in SrBi2(Ta0.5Nb0.5)(2)O-9 (SBTN) thin films prepared by polymeric precursor method was investigated at room temperature. The addition of W6+ ion in the SBTN lattice was evaluated by X-ray diffraction (XRD), microstructural and dielectrical properties. An increase in the grain size is evident when tungsten is introduced in the SBTN lattice. Substitution of tungsten until 10% on B site leads to introduce space charge polarization into the system, resulting in an appreciable decrease in both dielectric constant and tangent loss. The morphology of the thin films investigated by atomic force microscopy leads to an increase in the grain size after tungsten addition. Fatigue resistance was noted with increase in tungsten addition. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Nanoscale electromechanical properties of CaCu3Ti4O12 ceramics

Piezoresponse Force Microscopy (PFM) is used to characterize the nanoscale electromechanical properties of centrosymmetric CaCu3Ti4O12 ceramics with giant dielectric constant. Clear PFM contrast both in vertical (out-of-plane) and lateral (in-plane) modes is observed on the ceramic surface with varying magnitude and polarization direction depending on the grain crystalline orientation. Lateral signal changes its sign upon 180 degrees rotation of the sample thus ruling out spurious electrostatic contribution and confirming piezoelectric nature of the effect. Piezoresponse could be locally reversed by suitable electrical bias (local poling) and induced polarization was quite stable showing long-time relaxation (similar to 3 hrs). The electromechanical contrast in unpoled ceramics is attributed to the surface flexoelectric effect (strain gradient induced polarization) while piezoresponse hysteresis and ferroelectric-like behavior are discussed in terms of structural instabilities due to Ti off-center displacements and structural defects in this material. (C) 2011 American Institute of Physics. [doi:10.1063/1.3623767]

Water at interfaces and its influence on the electrical properties of adsorbed films

Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP)

Filmes finos de SrBi2Ta2O9 processados em forno microondas

Filmes finos de SrBi2Ta2O9 foram depositados em substratos de Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si e, pela primeira vez, sinterizados em forno microondas doméstico. Os padrões de difração de raios X mostraram que os filmes são policristalinos. O processamento por microondas permite utilizar baixa temperatura na síntese e obter filmes com boas propriedades elétricas. Ensaios de microscopia eletrônica de varredura (MEV) e de Força Atômica (MFA) revelam boa aderência entre filme e substrato, com microestrutura de superfície apresentando grãos finos e esféricos e rugosidade de 4,7 nm. A constante dielétrica e o fator de dissipação, para freqüência de 100 KHz, à temperatura ambiente, foram de 77 e 0,04, respectivamente. A polarização remanescente (2Pr) e o campo coercitivo (Ec) foram 1,04 miC/cm² e 33 kV/cm. O comportamento da densidade de corrente de fuga revela três mecanismos de condução: linear, ôhmico e outro mecanismo que pode ser atribuído à corrente de Schottky. Dos padrões de DRX, análises das imagens por MEV e topografia de superfície por MFA observa-se que 10 min de tratamento térmico a 550 ºC, em forno microondas, é tempo suficiente para se obter a cristalização do filme.

Ferroelectric and microstructural characteristics of SrBi2Ta2O9 thin films crystallized by the rapid thermal annealing process

Ferroelectric SrBi2Ta2O9 thin films on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si were successfully synthesized by the modified polymeric precursor method. The films were deposited by spin coating and crystallized by rapid thermal annealing in a halogen lamp furnace, followed by postannealing at temperatures ranging from 700 degreesC to 800 degreesC in an oxygen atmosphere. Microstructural and phase evaluations were followed by x-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. The films displayed spherical grain structures with a superficial roughness of approximately 3-6 nm. The dielectric constant values were 121 and 248 for films treated at 700 degreesC and 800 degreesC, respectively. The P-E curve showed a voltage shift toward the positive side, which was attributed to crystallization under the halogen illumination. The remanent polarization (2P(r)) and coercive field (E-c) were 7.1 muC/cm(2) and 113 kV/cm, and 18.8 muC/cm(2) and 93 kV/cm for the films treated at 700 degreesC and 800 degreesC, respectively. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.

Ferroelectric phase transition in Pb0.60Sr0.40TiO3 thin films

Polycrystalline Pb-0.Sr-60(0).40TiO3 thin films with the tetragonal perovskite structure were grown on platinum-coated silicon substrates by a chemical method. Raman results reveal that A1 (1 TO) symmetry modes, also known as soft modes, persist above the phase transition 14 temperature. This is due to the high structural distortion caused by the substitution effect of Sr2+ for Pb2+ ions. In contrast, the E(1TO) symmetry mode vanishes at 498 K, characterizing the ferroelectric-paraelectric transition phase. However, the Raman spectra, as a function of temperature, reveal that the ferroelectric-paraelectric phase transition may be correlated with a diffuse phase transition. The experimental data obtained from measurements of the dielectric constant as a function of temperature and frequencies showed a classical behavior of ferroelectric phase transition in Pb-0.Sr-60(0).40TiO3 thin films, rather than a relaxor ferroelectric phase transition. (C) 2004 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Niobium doped Bi4Ti3O12 ceramics obtained by the polymeric precursor method

Pure and niobium doped bismuth titanate ceramics (Bi4Ti3-xNbxO12 (BTN)), with x ranging from 0 to 0.4 were prepared by the polymeric precursor method. X-ray diffraction showed no secondary phases. Increasing niobium content leads to more resistive ceramics. The shape and size of the grains are strongly influenced by the niobiurn added to the system. The dielectric constant is not influenced by the niobium addition while hysteresis loops are significantly narrowed. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V All rights reserved.

Electrical characterization of lead zirconate titanate prepared by organic solution route

Two series of lead zirconate titanate (PZT) ceramics with composition Zr/Ti approximate to 53/47 have been prepared by the organic solution route. The effects on the electrical properties of calcination temperature in one series and of sintering time period in the other were examined. Dielectric constant, electrical conductivity and impedance spectroscopy results differed from one series to the other, probably due to differences in structure of the precursor powders, as seen by X-ray diffraction. Tetragonal and rhombohedral phases predominate in the powders used, respectively, in the calcined and sintered series. Physical and electrical behavior of ceramics prepared from predominantly rhombohedral powder suggests the evaporation of PbO. The presence of two semi-circles in impedance plots leads to the association of the low frequency semi-circle to the presence of PbO, which, apparently, was not eliminated from ceramics prepared from predominantly tetragonal powder. (C) 2001 Elsevier B.V. Ltd and Techna S.r.l. All rights reserved.

Investigation of phase transition in ferroelectric Pb0.70Sr0.30TiO3 thin films

We have carried out dielectric and Raman spectroscopy studies at the 298-623 K temperature range in polycrystalline Pb0.70Sr0.30TiO3 thin films grown by a soft chemical method. The diffuse phase-transition behavior of the thin films was observed by means of the dielectric constant versus temperature curves, which show a broad peak. Such behavior was confirmed later by Raman spectroscopy measurements up to 823 K, indicating that a diffuselike phase transition takes place at around 548-573 K. The damping factor of the E(1TO) soft mode was calculated using the damped simple harmonic oscillator model. on the other hand, Raman modes persist above the tetragonal to cubic phase transition temperature although all optical modes should be Raman inactive. The origin of these modes was interpreted in terms of a breakdown of the microscopic local cubic symmetry by chemical disorder. The lack of a well-defined transition temperature and the presence of broad bands at some temperature interval above the ferroelectric-paraelectric phase-transition temperature suggested a diffuse nature of the phase transition. This result corroborates the dielectric constant versus temperature data, which showed a broad ferroelectric phase transition in this thin film. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.

Absence of relaxor-like ferroelectric phase transition in (Pb,Sr)TiO3 thin films

We have performed dielectric and micro-Raman spectroscopy measurements in the 298 - 673 K temperature range in polycrystalline Pb0.50Sr0.50TiO3 thin films prepared by a soft chemical method. The phase transition have been investigated by dielectric measurements at various frequencies during the heating cycle. It was found that the temperature corresponding to the peak value of the dielectric constant is frequency-independent, indicating a non-relaxor ferroelectric behavior. However, the dielectric constant versus temperature curves associated with the ferroelectric to paraelectric phase transition showed a broad maximum peak at around 433 K. The observed behavior is explained in terms of a diffuse phase transition. The obtained Raman spectra indicate the presence of a local symmetry disorder, due to a higher strontium concentration in the host lattice. The monitoring of some modes, conducted in the Pb0.50Sr0.50TiO3 thin films, showed that the ferroelectric tetragonal phase undergoes a transition to the paraelectric cubic phase at around 423 K. However, the Raman activity did not disappear, as would be expected from a transition to the cubic paraelectric phase. The strong Raman spectrum observed for this cubic phase is indicative that a diffuse-type phase transition is taking place. This behavior is attributed to distortions of the perovskite structure, allowing the persistence of low-symmetry phase features in cubic phase high above the transition temperature. This result is in contrast to the forbidden first-order Raman spectrum, which would be expected from a cubic paraelectric phase, such as the one observed at high temperature in pure PbTiO3 perovskite.

Preparation and properties of ferroelectric Pb1-xCaxTiO3 thin films produced by the polymeric precursor method

Pb1- xCaxTiO3 thin films with x = 0.24 composition were prepared by the polymeric precursor method on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates. The surface morphology and crystal structure, and the ferroelectric and dielectric properties of the films were investigated. X-ray diffraction patterns of the films revealed their polycrystalline nature. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM) analyses showed the surface of these thin films to be smooth, dense and crack-free with low surface roughness. The multilayer Pb1-xCaxTO3 thin films were granular in structure with a grain size of approximately 60-70 nm. The dielectric constant and dissipation factor were, respectively, 174 and 0.04 at a 1 kHz frequency. The 600-nm thick film showed a current density leakage in the order of 10(-7) A/cm(2) in an electric field of about 51 kV/cm. The C-V characteristics of perovskite thin films showed normal ferroelectric behavior. The remanent polarization and coercive field for the deposited films were 15 muC/cm(2) and 150 kV/cm, respectively. (C) 2001 Kluwer Academic Publishers.

Ferroelectric and optical properties of Ba0.8Sr0.2TiO3 thin film

Barium strontium titanate (Ba0.8Sr0.2TiO3) thin films have been prepared on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates using a soft solution processing. X-ray diffraction and also micro-Raman spectroscopy showed that the Ba0.8Sr0.2TiO3 thin films exhibited a tetragonal structure at room temperature. The presence of Raman active modes was clearly shown at the 299 and 725 cm(-1) peaks. The tetragonal-to-cubic phase transition in the Ba0.8Sr0.2TiO3 thin films is broadened, and suppressed at about 35 degreesC, with a maximum dielectric constant of 948 (100 kHz). Electrical measurements for the prepared Ba0.8Sr0.2TiO3 thin films showed a remnant polarization (P-r) of 6.5 muC/cm(2), a coercive field (E-c) of 41 kV/cm, and good insulating properties. The dispersion of the refractive index is interpreted in terms of a single electronic oscillator at 6.97 eV. The direct band gap energy (E-g) and the refractive index (n) are estimated to be 3.3 eV and n = 2.27-2.10, respectively. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.

THE B-FORM TO Z-FORM TRANSITION OF POLY(DG-M(5)DC) IS SENSITIVE TO NEUTRAL SOLUTES THROUGH AN OSMOTIC-STRESS

Several neutral solutes, ranging in size from methanol to a tetrasaccharide, stachyose, are shown to stabilize the left-handed Z form of the methylated polynucleotide poly(dG-m(5)dC). The action of these solutes is consistent with an osmotic stress, that is, with their effect on water chemical potentials coupled to a difference in the number of-associated water molecules between the B and Z conformations. The apparent difference in hydration between the two forms is, however, dependent on the particular solute used to probe the reaction. The effect of solutes is not consistent either with a direct binding of solute or with an indirect effect on electrostatics or ion binding through changes in the solution dielectric constant. The interplay of NaCl and neutral solute in modulating the B-Z transition suggests that salt also could be stabilizing the Z form through an osmotic stress.

Characterization of BaTi1-xZrxO3 thin films obtained by a soft chemical spin-coating technique

Single-phase perovskite structure BaZrxTi1-xO3 (BZT) (0.05less than or equal toxless than or equal to0.25) thin films were deposited on Pt-Ti-SiO2-Si substrates by the spin-coating technique. The structural modifications in the thin films were studied using x-ray diffraction and micro-Raman scattering techniques. Lattice parameters calculated from x-ray data indicate an increase in lattice (a axis) with the increasing content of zirconium in these films. Such Zr substitution also result in variations of the phonon mode wave numbers, especially those of lower wave numbers, for BaZrxTi1-xO3 thin films, corroborate to the structural change caused by the zirconium doping. on the other hand, Raman modes persist above structural phase transition, although all optical modes should be Raman inactive in the cubic phase. The origin of these modes must be interpreted as a function of a local breakdown of the cubic symmetry, which could be a result of some kind of disorder. The BZT thin films exhibited a satisfactory dielectric constant close to 181-138, and low dielectric loss tan delta<0.03 at the frequency of 1 kHz. The leakage current density of the BZT thin films was studied at elevated temperatures and the data obey the Schottky emission model. Through this analysis the Schottky barrier height values 0.68, 1.39, and 1.24 eV were estimated to the BZT5, BZT15, and BZT25 thin films, respectively. (C) 2004 American Institute of Physics.