Preparation and properties of Bi4Ti3O12 thin films grown at low substrate temperatures

Bismuth titanate (Bi4Ti3O12) thin films were deposited on a (100) silicon substrate at a substrate temperature of 500 degrees C, using rf magnetron sputtering. Ferroelectric Bi4Ti3O12 thin films were deposited on the pyrochlore phase buffer layer. The pyrochlore phase buffer layer was effective for lowering substrate temperature and suppressed the growth of the plate-like grains. The apparent remanent polarization and the apparent coercive field of this film at the measurement frequency of 50 Hz were estimated to be 2.4 mu C cm(-2) and 2.3 kV cm(-1), respectively. The apparent remanent polarization was degraded to approximately 40% of the initial value by 1 x 10(6) switching cycles. The capacitance-voltage hysteresis loop of Bi4Ti3O12 thin film on silicon substrate is observed to correspond to ferroelectricity. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S.A. All rights reserved.