Enhanced fatigue-endurance of ferroelectric Pb1-xSrx(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O3 thin films prepared by sol-gel method

The polarization fatigue behaviors of ferroelectric Pb1-xSrx(Zr0.52Ti0.48)O-3 (PSZT) thin films deposited on Pt-coated silicon wafers are investigated. Significantly enhanced fatigue endurance with increasing Sr doping and decreasing temperature is observed, and the almost fatigue-free performance up to 10(10) switching cycles for PSZT (x=0.2) thin films at room temperature is identified. The dc-conductivity measurements suggest almost 20 times decreasing of the oxygen vacancy density as the Sr doping increases from x=0 to x=0.2. It is believed that the Sr-doping enhances the stability of oxygen ions and suppresses oxygen vacancies, consequently resulting in the improved fatigue endurance. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.