Charge Trapping Centers in Ferroelectric Ceramics

Abstract

ABSTRACTElectron paramagnetic resonance (EPR), photo-thermal deflection spectroscopy (PDS), and electrical measurements have been used to characterize as-received and UV-lluminated lead lanthanum zirconate titanate (PLZT) and PZT ceramics. Following optical illumination we observe the activation of positively charged Pb+3 and negatively charged Ti+3 ions, as well as an increased broad absorption peak around 2.6 eV. The spatial distribution of the induced absorption correlates well with the location of the absorbed UV, suggesting that photo-produced carrier pairs are trapped at Ti+4 and Pb+2 producing the observed paramagnetism. The Ti+3 EPR spectra were successfully fit using the crystal field parameters derived from the PDS spectra. Preliminary results suggest that these charged paramagnetic ions can influence the electrical properties of PZT thin films. We investigated the effects of UV light and dc bias sequences by polarization-electric field (PE) measurements and find that the coercive fields are dependent on the sign of the applied bias during UV exposure. It is reasonable to expect that Pb+3 and/or Ti+3 ions act as the charge trapping sites which cause the threshold voltage shifts in the PE loop.