Effects of transition metal (Ni, Mn, Cu) doping on ferroelectric properties of Bi0.9Nd0.1FeO3 thin films prepared by chemical solution deposition method

Abstract

Transition metal (Ni, Mn, Cu) doped Bi0.9Nd0.1FeO3 thin films were prepared on Pt(111)/Ti/SiO2/Si(100) substrates by using a chemical solution deposition method. Compared to pure BiFeO3 (BFO) thin film, improved ferroelectric and leakage current properties were observed in the transition metal doped thin films. The values of remnant polarization (2P r ) and coercive electric field (2E c ) of the transition metal doped thin films were 59 μC/cm2 and 690 kV/cm at 700 kV/cm for the Ni-doped Bi0.9Nd0.1FeO3 thin film, 57 μC/cm2 and 523 kV/cm at 670 kV/cm for the Mn-doped thin film, and 85 μC/cm2 and 729 kV/cm at 700 kV/cm for the Cu-doped thin film, respectively. The 2P r values observed in the transition metal doped thin films were much larger than that of the BFO thin film, 21 μC/cm2 at 660 kV/cm. Also the 2E c values of in the transition metal doped thin films were lower than that of the BFO thin film, 749 kV/cm at 660 kV/cm. The reduced leakage current density was observed in the transition metal doped thin films, which is approximately two orders of magnitude lower than the BFO thin film, 2.6 × 10−3 A/cm2 at 100 kV/cm.