Structural and electrical properties of (Na0.85K0.15)0.5Bi0.5TiO3 thin films deposited on LaNiO3 and Pt bottom electrodes

(Na_0.85K_0.15)_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃ thin films were deposited on LaNiO₃(LNO)/SiO₂/Si(1 0 0) and Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si(1 0 0) substrates by metal-organic decomposition, and the effects of bottom electrodes LNO and Pt on the ferroelectric, dielectric and piezoelectric properties were investigated by ferroelectric tester, impedance analyzer and scanning probe microscopy, respectively. For the thin films deposited on LNO and Pt electrodes, the remnant polarization 2P_r are about 22.6 and 8.8 μC/cm² under 375 kV/cm, the dielectric constants 238 and 579 at 10 kHz, the dielectric losses 0.06 and 0.30 at 10 kHz, the statistic d_33eff values 95 and 81 pm/V. The improved piezoelectric properties could make (Na_1−xK_x)_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃ thin film as a promising candidate for piezoelectric thin film devices.     

Large piezoresponse of lead-free Bi0.5(Na0.85K0.15)0.5TiO3 thin film

0.85Bi_0.5Na_0.5TiO₃-0.15Bi_0.5K_0.5TiO₃ (BNKT15) lead-free thin films were prepared on Pt(111)/TiO₂/SiO₂/Si(100) substrates by the chemical solution deposition method. BNKT15 are MPB composition in the Bi_0.5Na_0.5TiO₃-Bi_0.5K_0.5TiO₃ (BNT-BKT) system. The maximum piezoelectric coefficient (d_33,f) value of BNKT15 thin film is approximately 75 pm/V, which is comparable to that of polycrystalline PZT thin films. These results suggest that BNKT15 thin film can be used as an alternative for PZT films in piezoelectric micro-electromechanical systems.     

Growth and structure of Bi0.5(Na0.7K0.2Li0.1)0.5TiO3 thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition technique

Bi_0.5(Na_0.7K_0.2Li_0.1)_0.5TiO₃ (BNKLT) thin films were prepared on Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. The films prepared were examined by using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The effects of the processing parameters, such as oxygen pressure, substrate temperature and laser power, on the crystal structure, surface morphology, roughness and deposition rates of the thin films were investigated. It was found that the substrate temperature of 600 °C and oxygen pressure of 30 Pa are the optimized technical parameters for the growth of textured film, and all the thin films prepared have granular structure, homogeneous grain size and smooth surfaces.     

Effect of deposition temperature on orientation and electrical properties of (K0.5Na0.5)NbO3 thin films by pulsed laser deposition

Lead-free ferroelectric K_0.5Na_0.5NbO₃ (KNN) thin films have been prepared on Pt/TiO₂/SiO₂/Si substrates by pulsed laser deposition process. The structures, crystal orientations and electrical properties of thin films have been investigated as a function of deposition temperature from 680 °C to 760 °C. It is found that the deposition temperature plays an important role in the structures, crystal orientations and electrical properties of thin films. The crystallization of thin films improves with increasing deposition temperature. The thin film deposited at 760 °C exhibits strong (0 0 1) preferential orientation, large dielectric constant of 930 and the remnant polarization of 8.54 μC/cm².     

Piezoelectric non-linearity in PbSc0.5Ta0.5O3 thin films

Epitaxial (001)-oriented PbSc_0.5Ta_0.5O₃ (PST) thin films were deposited by pulsed laser deposition. Local piezoelectric investigations performed by piezoelectric force microscopy show a dual slope for the piezoelectric coefficient. A piezoelectric coefficient of 3 pm/V was observed at voltages up to 0.8 V. However, at voltages above 0.8 V, there is a steep increase in piezoelectric coefficient mounting to 23.2 pm/V. This nonlinear piezoelectric response was observed to be irreversible in nature. In order to better understand this nonlinear behavior, voltage dependent dielectric constant measurements were performed. These confirmed that the piezoelectric non-linearity is indeed a manifestation of a dielectric non-linearity. In contrast to classical ferroelectric systems, the observed dielectric non-linearity in this relaxor material cannot be explained by the Rayleigh model. Thus the dielectric non-linearity in the PST films is tentatively explained as a manifestation of a percolation of the polar nano regions.     

Structure and electrical properties of trilayered BaTiO3/(Na0.5Bi0.5)TiO3–BaTiO3/BaTiO3 thin films deposited on Si substrate

Highly (110)-oriented trilayered BaTiO₃ (25 nm) /(Na_0.5Bi_0.5)_0.94Ba_0.06TiO₃ (300 nm) / BaTiO₃ (25 nm) thin films were deposited on Pt/Ti/SiO₂/Si substrates via chemical solution deposition. It was found that the inserted bottom BaTiO₃ layer between Pt and (Na_0.5Bi_0.5)_0.94Ba_0.06TiO₃ is very effective for promoting the crystallinity and (110)-oriented growth of NBT-BT films. Meanwhile, the BaTiO₃ layers also provide better interfaces between the ferroelectric thin film and the electrodes in terms of reducing leakage current. The trilayered films showed enhanced dielectric and ferroelectric properties compared with the pure NBT-BT films. Well saturated hysteresis loops were obtained due to good electrical insulating properties in the high electric field region.     

Microstructure and piezoelectric properties of Bi0.5(Na0.82K0.18)0.5TiO3−NaSbO3 ceramics

Lead-free piezoelectric ceramics (1−x)Bi_0.5(Na_0.82K_0.18)_0.5TiO₃−xNaSbO₃ have been prepared by a conventional ceramics technique, and their microstructure and electrical properties have been investigated. The addition of NaSbO₃ has no remarkable effect on the crystal structure within the studied doping content; however, an obvious change in microstructure took place. With increase in NaSbO₃ content, the temperature from a ferroelectric to antiferroelectric phase transition increases, and the temperature for a transition from antiferroelectric phases to paraelectric phases changes insignificantly. Simultaneously, the temperature range between the rhombohedral phase transition point and the Curie temperature point becomes smaller. The piezoelectric properties significantly increase with increase in NaSbO₃ content and the piezoelectric constant and electromechanical coupling factor attain maximum values of d₃₃=160 pC/N and k_p=0.333 at x=0.01. The results indicate that (1−x)Bi_0.5(Na_0.82K_0.18)_0.5TiO₃−xNaSbO₃ ceramic is a promising lead-free piezoelectric candidate material.     

Na0.5K0.5NbO3-BiFeO3 lead-free piezoelectric ceramics

Lead-free (Na_0.5K_0.5)NbO₃-based piezoelectric ceramics were successfully fabricated by substituting with a small amount of BiFeO₃ (BF). Difficulty in sintering of pure NKN ceramics can be eased by adding a few molar percent of BF, and the crystalline structure is also changed, leading to a morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) between ferroelectric orthorhombic and rhombohedral phases. The MPB exists near the 1-2 mol% BF-substituted NKN compositions, exhibiting enhanced ferroelectric, piezoelectric, and electromechanical properties of P_r=23.3 μC/cm², d₃₃=185 pC/N, and k_p=46%, compared to an ordinarily sintered pure NKN ceramics. The MPB composition has a Curie temperature of ∼370 °C, comparable to that of some commercial PZT materials.     

Transverse piezoelectric properties of Mn-doped Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3 thin films

Lead-free (Bi_0.5Na_0.5)(Ti_1-xMn_x)O₃ (BNTMn-x; x = 0, 0.0025, 0.0050, 0.0100) thin films were fabricated using a chemical solution deposition method on Pt/TiO₂/SiO₂/Si substrate. The effect of Mn substitution on crystal structures, surface morphologies, and ferroelectric and transverse piezoelectric properties of BNTMn-x thin films was investigated. The 0.5 mol% Mn-doped (Bi_0.5Na_0.5)(Ti_0.995Mn_0.005)O₃ thin film exhibited a well-saturated ferroelectric P-E hysteresis loop at room temperature. A remnant polarization (P_r) of 16 μC/cm² was obtained for the BNTMn-0.0050 film at an applied electric field of 400 kV/cm. In addition, a 1.12-μm-thick BNTMn-0.0050 film was applied as a cantilever. The Pt/BNTMn-0.0050/Pt/TiO₂/SiO₂/Si unimorph cantilever exhibited a high transverse piezoelectric coefficient ($e_{31}^1$) of 2.43 C/m².     

Structure and electrical properties of Bi0.5(Na, K)0.5TiO3−BiGaO3 lead-free piezoelectric ceramics

Lead-free piezoelectric ceramics (1 − x − y)Bi_0.5Na_0.5TiO₃−xBi_0.5K_0.5TiO₃− yBiGaO₃ have been fabricated by an ordinary sintering technique, and their structure and electrical properties and depolarization temperature have been studied. The results of X-ray diffraction reveal that Bi_0.5K_0.5TiO₃ and BiGaO₃ diffuse into the Bi_0.5Na_0.5TiO₃ lattices to form a new solid solution with a pure perovskite structure. An obvious change in microstructure with increasing concentration of Bi_0.5K_0.5TiO₃ and BiGaO₃ was observed. The piezoelectric constant d₃₃ and the electromechanical coupling factor k_p of the ceramics attain maximum values of 165 pC/N and 0.346 at y = 0.01(x = 0.18) and x = 0.21(y = 0.01), respectively. The temperature dependence of dielectric constant indicates an obvious relaxor characteristic with strong frequency dependence of dielectric constant. The depolarization temperature decreased with increasing content of BiGaO₃ and first decreases and then increases with increasing amount of Bi_0.5K_0.5TiO₃.     

Thickness effect in Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3 ferroelectric thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition

Epitaxial Pb(Zr_,Ti)O₃ (PZT) thin films with thicknesses in the range of 50-200 nm and with 0.2 Zr/(Zr + Ti) ratio, were grown by pulsed laser deposition (PLD).The substrates used for PLD deposition are single crystalline 0.5% Nb-doped (1 0 0) SrTiO₃ (STON). SrRuO₃ (SRO) thin films were deposited as bottom and top electrodes in order to have minimum structural misfit, to insure on one side high quality growth, and on the other side to minimize the influence of the extended structural defects. Structural and electrical characterization was performed. The epitaxial PZT films are c-axis oriented and have an average roughness of 0.4 nm. The ferroelectric behavior was proved in all investigated films by the presence of the hysteresis loops and by the butterfly shape of the capacitance-voltage (C-V) characteristics. The ferroelectricity was present even in the samples with relative high leakage currents, down to a thickness of 50 nm. These results are essential when small thickness is needed for miniaturization of ferroelectric devices using PZT.     

Site occupation of doping La3+ cations and phase transition in Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3–BaTiO3 solid solution

The effects of La doping on the ferroelectric properties of 0.92Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3-0.08BaTiO3(NBT-BT) solid solution have been studied both experimentally and theoretically.The experimental results show that an abnormal ferro-toantiferroelectric phase transition is induced by La doping in NBT-BT.The first-principles calculations indicate that La3+ cations selectively substitute for the A site in NBT-BT as donors.Furthermore,the computed binding energy reveals that La cations is most likely to substitute Ba 2+or Na+,not Bi3+,at A site as donors in NBT-BT,as supported by our Raman spectra.The ferro-to-antiferroelectric phase transition of La-doped NBT-BT is believed to originate from the lattice aberrance and redistribution of valence electrons,thus strengthening the bonding of A-O,enhancing the hybridization between the A cation d orbital and O 2p orbital,and resulting in the deflection of the polar direction of NBT-BT lattice.     

Properties of K0.5Bi0.5TiO3 thin films deposited on different substrates

K_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃ thin films were deposited on fused quartz, n-type Si(100) and Pt/TiO₂/SiO₂/Si substrates by repeated coating/dying cycles. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the films annealed at 700 °C for 10 min present perovskite phase. Atomic force microscopy reveals that the surface morphology is smooth, the grain sizes of the films on Si(100) are quite larger than on fused quartz. The capacitance-voltage hysteresis loops at various sweeping speed are collected as are polarization types. The films in the ON and OFF states are relatively stable. The films also exhibit a hysteresis loop at an applied voltage of 4 V, with a remanent polarization of 9.3 μC/cm² and a coercive voltage of 2 V. The insulating property of negative bias voltage is better than that of positive bias voltage. The transmittance of the films is between 74 and 82% in the wavelength range of 200-2000 nm.     

Preparation of transparent conductive TiO2:Nb thin films by pulsed laser deposition

This study investigated the optical and electrical properties of Nb-doped TiO₂ thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The PLD conditions were optimized to fabricate Nb-doped TiO₂ thin films with an improved electrical conductivity and crystalline structure. XRD analyses revealed that the deposition at room temperature in 0.92 Pa O₂ was suitable to produce anatase-type TiO₂. A Nb-doped TiO₂ thin film attained a resistivity as low as 6.7 × 10⁻⁴ Ω cm after annealing at 350 °C in vacuum (<10⁻⁵ Pa), thereby maintaining the transmittance as high as 60% in the UV-vis region.     

Third-order optical nonlinearities of lead-free (Na1−xKx)0.5Bi0.5TiO3 thin films

(Na_1−xK_x)_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃ (NKBT) (x = 0.1, 0.2, and 0.3) thin films with good surface morphology and rhombohedral perovskite structure were fabricated on quartz substrates by a sol-gel process. The fundamental optical constants (the band gaps, linear refractive indices and absorption coefficients) of the films were obtained through optical transmittance measurements. The nonlinear optical properties were investigated by Z-scan technique performed at 532 nm with a picosecond laser. A two-photon absorption effect closely related with potassium-doping content was found in thin films, and the nonlinear refractive index n₂ increases evidently with potassium-doping. The real part of the third-order nonlinear susceptibility χ⁽³⁾ is much larger than its imaginary part, indicating that the third-order optical nonlinear response of the NKBT films is dominated by the optical nonlinear refractive behavior. These results show that NKBT thin films have potential applications in nonlinear optics.     

Effect of microstructure of MgO buffer layer on BaTiO3 grown on silicon substrates

MgO ultrathin films were grown on Si(1 0 0) substrates as buffer layers for the growth of ferroelectric BaTiO₃ thin films by laser molecular beam epitaxy (L-MBE). The deposition process of MgO buffer layers grown on silicon was in situ monitored by reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED). The structure of BaTiO₃ films fabricated on MgO buffers was investigated by X-ray diffraction. Biaxially textured MgO was obtained at high laser energy density, but when the laser energy was lowered, MgO buffer was transformed to the form of texture with angular dispersion with the increase of the film thickness. BaTiO₃ films grown on the former buffer were completely (0 0 1) textured, while those on the latter were (0 0 1) preferred orientated. Furthermore, the fabricated MgO buffers and BaTiO₃ films had atomically smooth surface and interface. All these can reveal that the quality of textured MgO buffer is a key factor for the growth of BaTiO₃ films on silicon.     

Multilayer Bi1.5Zn1.0Nb1.5O7/Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3/Bi1.5Zn1.0Nb1.5O7 thin films for tunable microwave applications

Bi_1.5Zn_1.0Nb_1.5O₇/Ba_0.6Sr_0.4TiO₃/Bi_1.5Zn_1.0Nb_1.5O₇ tunable multilayer thin film has been fabricated by pulsed laser ablation and characterized. Phase composition and microstructure of multilayer films were characterized by X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The film has very smooth surface with RMS roughness of 1.5-2 nm and grain size of 100-150 nm. Total film thickness has been measure to be 375 nm. The BZN thin films at 300 K, on Pt(1 1 1)/SiO₂/Si substrate showed zero-field dielectric constant of 105 and dielectric loss tangent of 0.002 at frequency of 0.1 MHz. Thin films annealed at 700 °C shows the dielectric tunability of 18% with biasing field 500 kV/cm at 0.1 MHz. The multilayer thin film shows nonferroelectric behavior at room temperature. The good physical and electrical properties of multilayer thin films make them promising candidate for tunable microwave device applications.     

K0.5Bi0.5TiO3—Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3系统铁电陶瓷相界的X射线研究

用X射线衍射方法测定了K_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃—Na_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃系统不同组分试样的点阵常数和相变温度,确定了四方-三方相界组成。给出了K_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃和Na_0.5Bi_0.5TiO₃的多晶X射线衍射数据。 关键词：     

Enhanced dielectric and ferroelectric properties of Pb1−3x/2Lax(Zr0.5Ti0.5)O3 thin films with low lanthanum substitution

Effects of lanthanum (La) substitution (0.003 ≤ x ≤ 0.015) on the dielectric and ferroelectric properties of Pb(Zr_0.5Ti_0.5)O₃ thin films have been investigated. The films were synthesized on the Pt (1 1 1)/Ti/SiO₂/Si (1 0 0) substrates by a sol-gel method. Large dielectric constants of the films are obtained within range of 800-1600 which are almost comparable to those observed in bulk ceramics. The films also show improved remnant polarization values and reduced coercive field values with the increasing addition of La substitution. Our results suggest that low La substitution contributes to enhance film electric properties due to the improvement of non-180° domain wall mobility as well as the stabilization of tetragonal phase.     

Growth of superconducting FeSe0.5Te0.5 thin films by pulsed-laser deposition

FeSe_0.5Te_0.5 thin films with PbO-type structure are successfully grown on MgO(1 0 0) and LaSrAlO₄(0 0 1) substrates from FeSe_0.5Te_0.5 or FeSe_0.5Te_0.75 polycrystalline targets by pulsed-laser deposition. The film deposited on the MgO substrate (film thickness ∼ 55 nm) shows superconductivity at 10.6 K (onset) and 9.2 K (zero resistivity). On the other hand, the film deposited on the LaSrAlO₄ substrate (film thickness ∼ 250 nm) exhibits superconductivity at 5.4 K (onset) and 2.7 K (zero resistivity). This suggests the strong influence of substrate materials and/or the c-axis length to superconducting properties of FeSe_0.5Te_0.5 thin films.