Electrical Properties of Sol-Gel Processed Amorphous BaTiO3 Thin Films

BaTiO₃ thin films were prepared on single crystal silicon (1 0 0) and platinum substrates by sol-gel technique. Amorphous films with thickness uniformity were obtained by spinning the solution at 3000 rpm for 30 s and by post-deposition annealing at 400°C. The films exhibited good dielectric and insulating properties. The dielectric constant and dissipation factor at a frequency of 100 kHz were 17 and 0.20, respectively, for 1400 Å thick film on platinum substrate (MIM). The corresponding values were 16 and 0.015 for films on Si (MIS). Dielectric properties were also studied as functions of frequency and voltage. The C-V curve for MIS structure exhibited a hysteresis. The density of interface states recharged during the bias cycle in hysteresis measurement was estimated to be of the order of 2.10 × 10¹¹ cm^–2 and total oxide charge density was about 4.28 × 10¹¹ cm^–2. I-V measurements were performed on films of different thicknesses. The leakage current densities at 5 V for the films having thicknesses 1400 and 2800 Å were 0.86 and 0.11 A/cm² respectively. The conduction mechanism is found to be Poole-Frenkel and Schottky mechanisms at low and high fields, respectively.