Chemical approach using tailored liquid sources for traditional and novel ferroelectric thin films

The Ca-Bi-Ti and Sr-Bi-Ti complex alkoxide solutions were used as tailored liquid sources for synthesis of a series of novel Bi-based layer-structured perovskite thin films with the number, n, of oxygen octahedra from 3 to 5. The complex alkoxide solutions had similar local structures, of which the stability for the. partial hydrolysis was important to suppress compositional deviation in the resultant thin films. The Ca-containing thin films had the characteristic well-developed columnar structure which was distinct from the refractory stacking-grain structure of the Sr-contained thin films. The relationship between the lattice constants and the number of, oxygen octahedra, n, confirmed that the series of thin films prepared using the alkoxide complex solutions had intentionally designed layer structure. Additionally, the dielectric and ferrolectric properties of the thin films were confirmed to depend on the A-site cations and the value of n. [DOI: 10.1143/JJAP.41.6829]