ZnO as a buffer layer for growth of BiFeO{sub 3} thin films

Journal Article · Sun Aug 15 00:00:00 EDT 2010 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3460108· OSTI ID:21476406

Jiagang, Wu; Wang, John ^[1]

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1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Singapore 117574 (Singapore)

Multiferroic BiFeO{sub 3} thin film was grown on the ZnO-buffered Pt/TiO{sub 2}/SiO{sub 2}/Si(100) substrate by off-axis radio frequency magnetron sputtering, where the ZnO buffer layer gave rise to a strong (110) texture for the BiFeO{sub 3} thin film. The resulting BiFeO{sub 3}/ZnO thin film exhibits diode-like and resistive hysteresis behavior, in which the resistive hysteresis and rectifying ratio are dependent on the applied voltage and temperature. The resistive switching behavior of the BiFeO{sub 3}/ZnO thin film is shown to relate to the trap-controlled space charge limited conduction and interface-limited Fowler-Nordheim tunneling, while the polarization reversal takes place in the BiFeO{sub 3} layer of the heterostructure. The BiFeO{sub 3}/ZnO thin film is also demonstrated with a higher remanent polarization (2P{sub r{approx}}153.6 {mu}C/cm{sup 2}), a much lower dielectric loss (tan {delta}{approx}0.012), and a better fatigue endurance as compared to those of the BiFeO{sub 3} thin film without a ZnO buffer layer, where the much reduced leakage is largely responsible for the enhanced ferroelectric behavior. The ZnO as a buffer layer for BiFeO{sub 3} significantly changes the dielectric relaxation and conduction mechanisms, when the dielectric relaxation and electrical conduction are governed by the thermal excitation of carriers from the second-ionization and short-range motion of oxygen vacancies, respectively, while the relaxation process remains the same over the entire temperature range of 20 to 200 deg. C investigated in the present study.

• OSTI ID: 21476406
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Journal Name: Journal of Applied Physics Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 108; ISSN JAPIAU; ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
BISMUTH COMPOUNDS
CHALCOGENIDES
CRYSTAL DEFECTS
CRYSTAL GROWTH
CRYSTAL STRUCTURE
DEPOSITION
DIELECTRIC MATERIALS
ELECTRIC CONDUCTIVITY
ELECTRICAL PROPERTIES
ELEMENTS
ENERGY LOSSES
ENERGY-LEVEL TRANSITIONS
EXCITATION
FERROELECTRIC MATERIALS
FILMS
INTERFACES
LAYERS
LOSSES
MATERIALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
POINT DEFECTS
POLARIZATION
RELAXATION LOSSES
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SEMIMETALS
SILICON
SPUTTERING
THIN FILMS
TITANIUM COMPOUNDS
TITANIUM OXIDES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TUNNEL EFFECT
VACANCIES
ZINC COMPOUNDS
ZINC OXIDES