Ferroelectric domain switching kinetics of a lead-free AgNbO3 thin film on glass substrate

Lead-free silver niobate (AgNbO3) thin film was deposited on glass substrate by pulsed laser deposition. Ferroelectric properties of the AgNbO3 thin film were investigated. The AgNbO3 thin film capacitor exhibited good ferroelectricity with a remnant polarization of about 15.7 μC/cm2 (2Pr ∼ 31.4 μC/cm2) at room temperature and fast switching behavior within about 130 ns. Triangular grains on the ANO thin film surface were observed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). By using piezoelectric force microscopy (PFM), we investigated ferroelectric domain switching and domain wall motion of the AgNbO3 thin film. From the domain wall speed as a function of applied electric field in the AgNbO3 thin film, activation energy of domain wall motion was derived. Compared to the PbTiO3 thin film reported previously, the AgNbO3 thin film showed faster switching behavior which could be attributed to its lower activation energy for domain wall motion.