Studies on the dielectric and relaxor behavior of sol–gel derived barium strontium zirconate titanate thin films

The dielectric behavior of sol–gel derived Ba0.80Sr0.20(ZrxTi1−x)O3 (0.0 ≤ x ≤ 0.50) thin films is studied. A relaxor behavior is observed for x ≥ 0.35. The degree of relaxation increases with Zr content. The frequency dependence of the polar regions follows Vogel–Fulcher relation with a characteristic cooperative freezing at freezing temperature (Tf). Below Tf, a long range polarization ordering is likely to take place. The plausible mechanism of the relaxor behavior of BSZT thin films with Zr contents ≥ 0.35 has been proposed based on the measured temperature as well as frequency dependent dielectric data. The solid solution system is visualized as a mixture of Ti+ 4 rich polar regions and Zr+ 4 rich regions; with the increase in Zr content the volume fraction of the polar regions is progressively reduced. At and above 35.0 at.% Zr substitution the polar regions exhibit typical relaxor behavior.