Effects of oxygen-plasma treatment on lanthanum-substituted bismuth titanate ferroelectric thin films

Oxygen-plasma treatment has been done on Bi3.25La0.85Ti3O12 (BLT) films for lower crystallization temperatures and improved ferroelectric properties. The films, prepared by metal organic decomposition method on Pt and IrO2 electrodes sputtered on Al2O3/SiO2/Si substrates, were pre-annealed at the relatively low temperatures of 550 and 600 °C, followed by room temperature microwave oxygen-plasma treatment. The oxygen-plasma-treated BLT films showed very good ferroelectric characteristics after a final furnace annealing at 600 °C.