Thin films of novel ferroelectric composites

Composites of BSTO combined with other non electrically active oxides have demonstrated adjustable electronic properties which can be tailored for use in various electronic devices.([1, 2]) These novel composites of barium strontium titanate (BSTO) and oxide III compounds have already exhibited promising results in their ceramic form.([3]) The additive oxides modify the dielectric constant, tunability (change in the dielectric constant with applied voltage), and dielectric loss of the material. One application has been for use in phased array antennas and insertion has been accomplished into several working antenna systems.([4]) To further accommodate the frequencies required by these phased array antennas, thin films of the composites have been fabricated. Preliminary studies have indicated that thin films of such composites exhibit similar behavior as their bulk ceramic counterparts.([5]) The purpose of this study is to investigate the properties of the BSTO/oxide III based compounds in thin film form.