Preparation and characterization of Bi-doped LuFeO3 thin films grown on LaNiO3 substrate

• Bi-doped LuFeO3 thin films have been prepared on LaNiO3 coated silicon substrates.
• Bi dopant could improve the ferroelectric properties of the LuFeO3 thin film.
• The “U” shaped frequency loss tangent curves were discussed.

The multiferroic thin films of Lu1−xBixFeO3 (LBFOx, 0≤x≤0.10) were firstly prepared on LaNiO3 coating silicon substrates by the sol–gel method. Structural and morphological characterization of the LBFOx thin films was investigated by X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy, respectively. The remnant polarization of Bi-doped LuFeO3 thin film at room temperature reached to 3.1 and 3.6 μC/cm2 for x=0.05 and 0.10 at the electric field of 700 kV/cm, respectively. The ferroelectric polarization measurements indicate that the potential role of Bi doping in increasing the value of the polarization of LuFeO3 film, and the mechanisms for the U shaped frequency loss tangent curves was discussed.