Ferroelectric polarization and resistive switching characteristics of ion beam assisted sputter deposited BaTiO3 thin films

In this work, 150 nm thick polycrystalline BaTiO3 (BTO) films were deposited on Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si substrate by ion beam assisted sputter deposition technique. The bias voltage dependent resistive switching (RS) and ferroelectric polarization characteristics of Au/BTO/Pt devices are investigated. The devices display the stable bipolar RS characteristics without an initial electroforming process. Fittings to current-voltage (I-V) curves suggest that low and high resistance states are governed, respectively, by filamentary model and trap controlled space charge limited conduction mechanism, where the oxygen vacancies act as traps. Presence of oxygen vacancies is evidenced from the photoluminescence spectrum. The devices also display P-V loops with remnant polarization (Pr) of 5.7 μC/cm2 and a coercive electric field (Ec) of 173.0 kV/cm. The coupling between the ferroelectric polarization and RS effect in BTO films is demonstrated.