Effects of TiO2 Seeding Layer on Crystalline Orientation and Ferroelectric Properties of Bi3.15Nd0.85Ti3O12 Thin Films Fabricated by a Sol–Gel Method

Abstract

The effect of a 20‐nm thick TiO2 seeding layer on the growth of a Bi3.15Nd0.85Ti3O12 (BNT) thin film on Pt(111) thin‐film substrates has been studied. Under otherwise identical deposition process conditions, the BNT film could be turned from a highly random orientation to a (200) preference orientation by adding the seeding layer. Field‐emission scanning electron microscope result reveals that the BNT thin film with the TiO2 seeding layer is composed of fine grains with smaller sizes about 80–150 nm in diameter. The Pr and Ec values of the BNT thin film and BNT film with the TiO2 seeding layer were 36 and 16 μC/cm2, and 96.9 and 92 kV/cm at a voltage of 12 V, respectively. The fatigue test exhibited a very strong fatigue endurance up to 109 cycles for both films. The leakage current densities were generally in the order of 10−6–10−5 A/cm2 for both samples.