The influence of crystallization route on the Ce-doped Bi2Ti2O7 thin film by metal organic decomposition

The 150-nm-thick Ce:Bi2Ti2O7 (Ce:BTO) thin films have been grown directly on p-type Si (100) substrate by a metal organic decomposition method. The effect of different crystallization routes on the structure and electrical properties of the films has been investigated. X-ray diffraction patterns show that phase-pure pyrochlore Ce:BTO films can be obtained by sequential layer annealing (SLA) at 550 °C. However, the films annealed using conventional annealing (CA) have no other phase even when the temperature is as higher as 650 °C. The Ce:BTO films prepared by SLA at 550 °C and CA at 650 °C have negligible capacitance–voltage hysteresis loops due to the good insulating properties to resist the charge injections. Their equivalent oxide thicknesses are about 4.05 nm and 4.35 nm, respectively. Both films also show high relative dielectric constants (144.6, 134.5) and low dissipation factors (0.10, 0.08) at the frequency of 100 kHz.