Leakage current of Al- or Nb-doped Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 thin films by rf magnetron sputtering

The effects of Al and Nb doping on the leakage current behaviors were studied for the Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 (BST) thin films deposited on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si(100) substrate by rf magnetron sputtering. Al and Nb were selected as acceptor and donor dopants, respectively, because they have been known to replace Ti-sites of the BST perovskite. The BST thin films prepared in situ at elevated temperatures showed relatively high leakage current density and low breakdown voltage. However, the BST thin films deposited at room temperature and annealed subsequently in air showed improved electrical properties. In particular, the leakage current density of the Al-doped BST thin film was measured to be around 10(-8) A/cm(2) at 125 kV/cm, which is much lower than those of the undoped or Nb-doped thin films. The results suggest that the Schottky barriers at grain boundaries in the film interior could determine the leakage behavior in the BST thin films.