Effects of SrTiO3 buffer layer on structural and electrical properties of Bi3.15Nd0.85Ti3O12 thin films prepared by a chemical method

Ferroelectric Bi3.15Nd0.85Ti3O12 (BNT) thin films have been grown on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates at 750 °C by a chemical solution deposition method using SrTiO3 (STO) as a buffer layer. The influence of STO buffer layer on the phase and microstructure of BNT thin films was examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The electrical properties were investigated both for BNT thin films with and without STO buffer layer. The results showed that STO buffer layer strongly influenced the microstructure and electric properties of BNT thin films. BNT ferroelectric thin films with STO buffer layer exhibited the good crystallization behavior, the enhanced fatigue characteristics and excellent leakage current properties. This indicates that the introduction of the STO buffer layer prevents the interfacial diffusion and charge injection between BNT thin films and the substrate effectively and improves the interface quality.