Reduced Leakage Current Density Research Articles

Structural control in atomic layer deposited hafnium oxide thin films through vertical cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL)-Based ultra-rapid heating

HfO2 thin films were formed by plasma-enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD) using TDMAHf precursor as a Hf source and oxygen plasma as an oxygen source. Rapid annealing assisted by a 980 nm wavelength vertical cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) was employed to assess the dielectric properties of the HfO2 thin films, compared to furnace annealing. Operational power and time of VCSEL was precisely controlled by computational simulation. In addition to decreased thickness of the interfacial layer, rapid annealing enabled reduced leakage current density as annealing temperature increased due to suppression of crystallization, resulting from the extremely short time duration of 0.98 s–8.14 s. Cross-sectional microstructures exhibited incomplete grain boundary formation of the rapidly annealed HfO2 thin film. VCSEL-based rapid annealing was verified to be an efficient process to enhance the dielectric characteristics of high-k dielectric oxide films.

Stable energy storage performance at high-temperature of PESU-based dielectric composite regulated by SiO2 and BNNSs

Polymer dielectric capacitors are essential components for energy storage in modern electronic devices. They offer several advantages, including excellent voltage resistance, easy processing, and great energy storage density (U). However, with high thermal and electric fields, the more conductivity losses of polymer dielectric materials can be generated and aggregated, and the discharge energy density (Ue) and charging-discharging efficiency (η) of dielectric capacitor are usually significantly lower than that at room temperature. Here, the state-of-the-art composite is proposed, in which the SiO2 filler with excellent insulation strength is introduced into the middle composite layer, and the composite introduced wide band-gap boron nitride nanosheets (BNNSs) is used as the outer composite layer to inhibit carrier migration and reduce leakage current density of composite. The experimental results illustrate that the Ue of 1BP/1SP/1BP dielectric composite reaches about 9.37 J/cm3, and the η is around 82.0 % under the electric field of 540 kV/mm at 80 °C. Significantly, the η of multilayer 1BP/1SP/1BP composite remained >95.0 % after 50,000 cycles, indicating that this multilayer composite has good cycle stability and excellent reliability under a high-temperature. It presents a practical approach to enhance the energy storage performance of dielectric polymer at high-temperature environment.

Non-volatile memory characteristics of flexible ferroelectric field-effect transistors consisting of Sm-doped BiFeO3 thin films

This study investigates the impact of Sm doping on the structural, electrical, and functional properties of BiFeO3 (BFO) thin films. The aim is to improve their non-volatile memory characteristics for use in flexible ferroelectric field-effect transistors (FeFETs). We fabricated Sm-doped BFO (SBFO) thin films on flexible mica substrates with Sm concentrations ranging from 0 to 15 %. The FeFET device structures, which include MoS2 monolayer channels and SBFO thin films with Pt bottom electrodes, were analyzed. The SBFO thin films displayed a (111) preferential orientation due to the influence of underlying Pt electrodes. Notably, the SBFO thin film doped with a 10 % Sm concentration showed optimal enhancements, including a reduction in leakage current density and an increase in remanent polarization to 55.8 μC/cm2, compared to undoped thin film (35.5 μC/cm2). Furthermore, the thin film exhibited superior fatigue resistance for up to 1012 switching cycles and maintained stable values under significant bending stress for ferroelectric polarizations. On the other hand, SBFO thin film with 15 % Sm doping displayed relaxor antiferroelectric behavior, highlighting the importance of doping concentration. Therefore, for non-volatile memory application reliability, the FeFET device featuring a 10 % Sm-doped SBFO thin film not only enhanced the memory window but also showed superior fatigue characteristics over 1012 switching cycles, compared to its undoped counterpart. These findings demonstrate the effect of Sm doping in customizing the properties of BFO thin films for advanced, flexible non-volatile memory devices, offering a novel insight to optimize ferroelectric field-effect transistor performance.

Lead-free (K0.5Na0.5)NbO3 co-substituted with Ta5+ and Er3+: Structural, optical, dielectric and electrical properties

The lead-free K0.5Na0.5NbO3 (KNN) ceramics co-substituted with 0.05 mol Ta5+ and x mol Er3+ ions (K, Na) (1-3x) ErxNb0.95Ta0.05O3, with x = 0.00 to 0.05, have been successfully manufactured by using the solid-state reaction. The XRD results showed that the ceramics crystalize in pure perovskite with a trace of secondary phase, for low Er levels (x ≤ 0.02). Above this rate, the presence of secondary phases became more significant. The optical band gap energy of the synthesis samples has been determined using UV–vis absorbance spectra using Tauc's relation. The Ta and Er co-substitution leads to decrease the Eg of KNN material. The grain size is found to be minimal ≈490 nm and 240 nm of sintered pellets at x = 0.02 and 0.05 of Er content respectively with a high density. The dielectric study of (K, Na) (1-3x) ErxNb0.95Ta0.05O3 ceramics was carried out and double peaks were observed in relative permittivity versus temperature data for pure KNN and KNNTa corresponding to orthorhombic-tetragonal-cubic phase transitions. While for Er doped-KNNTa samples only a broad ferroelectric-paraelectric phase transition is observed and it shifted to the high temperature with increasing Er content. This broad peak observed in dielectric data for x = 0.02 of Er content is due to inhomogeneity and will certainly open new applications in microwave dielectrics. The ac conductivity variation of KNErNTa ceramics with diverse Er concentration was analyzed according to the charge compensation mechanism. However, for KNNTa, a decrease in conductivity values is attributed to the reduction in leakage current density. Meanwhile, at x = 0.01 and 0.02 of Er concentration, Er-doped KNNTa became semi-conductor. Further investigation revealed that the resistance of grains and grains boundaries are both minimal for x = 0.02 sample which are responsible for the increase of ac conductivity. For high Er concentration ≥0.03, the RG and RGB values increase along with decrease of conductivity value related to the increase in grain size found in SEM micrographs.

Study on dopant activation and EOT impact in HKMG stacks using microwave annealing with different frequencies

In this paper, we have examined the dopant activation levels in various materials (Si, SiGe, and Ge) annealed using two different microwave annealing (MWA) frequencies, 2.45 GHz and 5.8 GHz, with rapid thermal annealing serving as a comparative counterpart. The aim is to identify a material-specific annealing method that minimizes the high thermal budget typically required in the annealing process. For the dopant activation of Si wafer with B doping, there are two different frequencies (2.45 GHz and 5.8 GHz) MWA methods were compared. As the results of electrical measurement, the high activation level by 5.8 GHz MWA shows the material-targeted annealing method to reduce the thermal budget of the device. Additionally, we fabricated a high-k/metal gate (HKMG) MOSCAP structure, which was annealed using 2.45 GHz and 5.8 GHz MWA as part of the post-metallization annealing process. The results show that MWA at 2.45 GHz is more efficient than HF 5.8 GHz MWA at 3000 W in minimizing the interface trapped charge and the reduction in leakage current density. The highest capacitance (1.73 μF cm−2) was observed for MWA 2700 W at 2.45 GHz. However, there is a slight clear reduction in capacitance as the frequency increased to 5.8 GHz increasing in interfacial layer thickness. The post-metallization annealing of gate-last MOSCAPs using MWA at 2.45 GHz not only inhibits the growth of the equivalent oxide thickness and Al diffusion but also preserves the effects of pre-thermal annealing on doping activation at 5.8 GHz. Due to undesirable effects such as Al diffusion into the dielectric layer, the MWA at 5.8 GHz and 2.45 GHz demonstrates great a potential candidate, respectively as doping activation and as a post-metallization annealing method for HKMG structures.

Solution-processed CsPbBr3 perovskite LEDs using blended-polymer additives for nearly 100% surface coverage

The all-inorganic perovskite material (CsPbBr3) is a promising light-emitting material due to its narrow color spectrum, wet solution processability, and cost-effectiveness. Despite such advantages, pinholes, poor surface coverage, and stability issues limit widespread applications of perovskite light-emitting devices (PeLEDs) in solid-state lighting applications. The performance of PeLEDs depends strongly on the morphological characteristics of the perovskite layer, with low surface coverage and surface roughness observed to lead to higher current leakage and lower current efficiency. We find that perovskite thin films blended with polymers to form composite layers effectively enhance the thin film’s surface coverage and uniformity, improving performance. We report CsPbBr3 PeLEDs with dual polymer additives, with a 12.1% reduction in the turn-on voltage (Von), a 97.21% reduction in leakage current density, a 200%+ enhancement in maximum brightness, and a 700% increase in power efficiency compared to a control CsPbBr3 device. To study the likely source of these enhancements, we have conducted a comparative film analysis of test and control devices using field-emission scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy. A reduced crystal grain size (∼204nm to ∼101nm) and a nearly 100% (99.79%) surface coverage (compared to 79.53% found for control devices) suggest that the improved overall morphology and surface coverage likely play a significant role in the improved performance. Further, a reduction in surface roughness (∼45%) and the formation of a nearly pinhole-free film are observed to increase yield by 20%.

Improvement of leakage, magnetic and magnetodielectric properties in cobalt doped gallium ferrite

Gallium ferrite (GFO) is a magnetoelectric (ME) material, capturing growing attention due to its strong ME coupling at room temperature. However, the application of the material in practical use is hindered due to its high leakage. In this work, the effects of cobalt (Co) substitution at the iron (Fe) sites of GaFe1−x Co x O3 (0.0 ⩽ x ⩽ 0.1) polycrystals on the structure, electric and magnetic properties are investigated in detail. 5 at. wt.% substitution (x = 0.05) with cobalt ions achieves a reduction in leakage current density by four orders of magnitude due to reduced hopping between Fe3+ and Fe2+ ions and suppression of the oxygen vacancy formation. This is supported by higher dielectric constant and lower dielectric loss, as well as a significant difference between grain and grain boundary resistances. Two-phase-like magnetic behavior in magnetic hysteresis loop with enhanced magnetization and two magnetic transition temperatures are observed in the doped samples. All samples exhibited an increase in the magnetodielectric factor, indicating enhanced coupling between magnetic and electrical parameters. By concurrently increasing dielectric, magnetic, and coupling between them, this study describes a viable technique for lowering the most significant impediment to GFO’s usage as a ME device.

Correlation of interfacial and dielectric characteristics in atomic layer deposited Al2O3/TiO2 nanolaminates grown with different precursor purge times

Considering the potential applications of Al2O3/TiO2 nanolaminates (ATA NLs) in storage capacitors, device-grade ATA NLs are fabricated using an ALD system, wherein the effect of precursor purging time on interfacial, and dielectric properties is thoroughly investigated. With an increase in half-cycle purging time from 2 to 4 s, the observed improvement in interface quality and sublayer density of these NLs is ascribed to the efficient removal of reaction by-products and impurities. Moreover, with an increase in purge time from 2 to 4 s, the increase in dielectric constant and concurrent decrease in dielectric loss from ∼132 to 154 and from ∼0.29 to 0.2, respectively, are primarily assigned to the improvement in sublayer conductivity contrast assisted Maxwell–Wagner interfacial polarization across Al2O3/TiO2 interfaces. The NL based devices fabricated at 4 s purging time, exhibited a capacitance density of ∼18.94 fF/μm2, low equivalent oxide thickness of ∼1.82 nm, and reduced leakage current density of ∼3.04 × 10−5 A/cm2 at 2 V applied bias, which demonstrates its suitability as high-k materials for energy storage applications. Furthermore, this study not only gives an insight of the purging time induced growth chemistry of ATA NLs but also explores the possibility of improving its dielectric performance essential for multifaceted applications.

Solution-processed transparent PVP:HfO2 hybrid dielectric films with low leakage current density and high k

Organicinorganic hybrid dielectric materials have attracted significant attention owing to their capacity to integrate the mechanical and electrical characteristics of organic and inorganic components. This paper presents the deposition of high-performance polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP): hafnium oxide (HfO2) hybrid dielectric films at low temperature using the sol-gel method. Initially, the influence of precursor components on the surface morphology of single-component dielectric films was investigated. It is observed that the addition of FSO and acetic acid can result in smoother and more uniform surfaces for PVP and HfO2, respectively. Furthermore, based on these findings, we successfully prepared PVP:HfO2 hybrid dielectric films with surface roughness below 1 nm, high transmittance above 95% in the visible range (400–760 nm), and wide optical bandgaps exceeding 5.3 eV. The formation of PVP:HfO2 cross-linked network was identified through FTIR analysis, and a mechanism was proposed. Moreover, MIM devices were fabricated to determine the insulating performance of dielectric films. We found that the PVP:HfO2 hybrid dielectric films exhibit a significant reduction in leakage current density and a substantial increase in relative dielectric constant compared to the single-component dielectric films. In addition, with the increase in PVP concentration, the leakage current density first decreases and then increases, while the relative dielectric constant first increases and then decreases. After optimization, 0.5 wt% PVP:HfO2 hybrid dielectric film exhibits a low leakage current density of 5.89×10−8 A/cm2 @1 MV/cm and a high relative dielectric constant of 32.54. PVP:HfO2 hybrid dielectric films exhibit tremendous potential for applications in the realm of high-performance transparent electronic devices.

Modification of Structural and Dielectric Properties of SmFeO3 Orthoferrites System by Ce Doping

Rare-earth orthoferrites RFeO3 are important functional materials and are very promising due to their unique electrical properties. Amongst various orthoferrites systems, SmFeO3 is emerging as potential system having various multifunctional behaviour with structural modifications by doping or microstructural effect. In the present attempt, we explore SmFeO3 system and modify it by partially replacing Sm by Ce. We have synthesised pure SmFeO3 based system through Sol-Gel one of the combustion method. X-ray diffraction study confirms the formation of pure and highly crystalline single phase without any impurity. To get more clarity about structural features, Rietveld Refinement has been carried out using by Full-Proof Software which confirms the formation of orthorhombic structure with Pbnm space group. Dielectric study confirms that Ce doping in SmFeO3 modify dielectric constant from one order to two order. The response of polarisation with respect to applied electric field has been studied by P-E loop tracer. The remanent polarisation (pr) enhanced from 0.040 to 0.050 µC/cm2 for x = 0.10 after applied maximum electric field. An improvement in the ferroelectric loop was obtained due to the suppression of oxygen vacancies and the reduced leakage current density (10 − 8 A/cm2 at 20 kV/cm).

A self-aligned Ga2O3 heterojunction barrier Schottky power diode

We report an alignment-free gallium oxide (Ga2O3) heterojunction barrier Schottky (HJBS) power diode, which utilizes the self-assembled Ni nanostructures as in situ masks for the trench etching of Ga2O3 and the subsequent selective-area filling of p-type NiO. By increasing the trench depth to 200 nm, the relevant HJBS diode exhibits improved reverse blocking capabilities including the reduced leakage current density of 10−8 A/cm2 (at a reverse bias of 100 V) and the enhanced breakdown voltage of 748 V, while maintaining the forward biasing characteristics similar to the Schottky barrier diode (SBD). The variation of turn-on voltage and the reverse breakdown features indicate the conversion of the HJBS diodes characteristics from Ni/Ga2O3 SBD to the NiO/Ga2O3 p-n heterojunction diode. The electrical field simulations and experimental facts imply that the remarkable lateral pinch-off effect in the 200-nm trenched diodes shields the electric field in the depletion region underneath the Ni/Ga2O3 Schottky contact. This work provides a straightforward strategy to simplify the fabrication process of Ga2O3-based HJBS diodes with both promising forward and reverse performances.

Wake-up free ferroelectric hafnia-zirconia capacitors fabricated via vacuum-maintaining atomic layer deposition

Ferroelectric hafnium-zirconium oxide (HZO) is an excellent candidate for low-power non-volatile memory applications due to its demonstrated ferroelectricity at the nanoscale and compatibility with silicon-based technologies. The interface of HZO in contact with its electrode, typically TiN in a metal–ferroelectric–metal (MFM) capacitor configuration, is of particular interest because factors, such as volume confinement, impurity concentration, interfacial layers, thermal expansion mismatch, and defect trapping, are believed to play a crucial role in the ferroelectric performance of HZO-based devices. Processing variables, such as precursor type, oxygen source, dose duration, and deposition temperature, are known to strongly affect the quality of the oxide–metal interface. However, not many studies have focused on the effect of breaking or maintaining vacuum during MFM deposition. In this study, sequential, no-atmosphere processing (SNAP) is employed to avoid atmospheric exposure, where electrode TiN and ferroelectric HZO are deposited sequentially in the atomic layer deposition chamber without breaking vacuum. The effect of breaking vacuum during the sequential deposition steps is elucidated by fabricating and characterizing MFM capacitors with and without intentional vacuum breaks prior to the deposition of the HZO and top TiN. Using x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS), we reveal that breaking vacuum after bottom TiN electrode deposition leads to interfacial oxidation and increased carbon contamination, which preferentially stabilizes the non-ferroelectric tetragonal phase and lead to diminished remanent polarization. Avoiding carbon impurities and interfacial TiOx at the HZO and TiN interface using SNAP leads to heightened remanent polarization, reduced leakage current density, and elimination of the wake-up effect. Our work highlights the effect of vacuum breaking on the processing-structure-properties of HZO-based capacitors, revealing that maintaining vacuum can significantly improve ferroelectric properties.

Unravelling the linear and biquadratic magnetoelectric coupling in Ba0.95Sn0.05Ti0.95 Ga0.05O3 – CoFe1.8Ga0.2O4 particulate multiferroic composites

Since multiferroic composites have substantially stronger magnetoelectric coupling between the order parameters than the single-phase multiferroics, they are more interesting prospects for next-generation multi-state memories and spintronic devices. In light of this, the current work outlines the fabrication of ferroelectric perovskite BaTiO3 and ferrimagnetic spinel CoFe2O4-based particulate multiferroic composites with general formulla (1-x) Ba0.95Sn0.05Ti0.95 Ga0.05O3 – x CoFe1.8Ga0.2O4 (x = 0.04, 0.08 & 0.12). At room temperature, the gallium and tin doping enhanced the dielectric properties of BaTiO3 (ε ´ =9200), and particulate composite (ε ´ =6000) with 12% of CoFe1.8Ga0.2O4 phase. In the same composite, the reduced leakage current density of 3.4 μA/cm2 and improved magnetoelectric properties, with linear and quardatic coupling coefficients of 3.41 mVcm−1Oe−1 and 3.4 × 10−4 mVcm−1Oe−2 were achieved. In composites with a larger magnetic phase, the decrease in cell volume and increased tetragonality produces the compressive strain, that in turn improves the ME coupling. Diffused ferroelectric transitions were ascertained by using the Curie- Weiss Law. Enhanced dielectric properties are linked to decrease in hopping and bond lengths, caused by the incorporation of non-magnetic Ga3+ ions in the CoFe2O4 lattice. A reduction in leakage current density was observed on Sn doping. The calculated square-ness ratios reveal an ordered multi-domain structure. Improved dielectric response along with linear and biquadratic coupling makes these Sn and Ga doped BaTiO3-CoFe2O4 particulate composites as potential candidates for magnetoelectric devices.

Dielectric and ferroelectric characteristics of Ba(Ti0.25Zr0.25Hf0.25Sn0.25)O3 high-entropy ceramics

Ba(Ti0.25Zr0.25Hf0.25Sn0.25)O3 high-entropy ceramics were prepared by a standard solid state reaction process, and the dielectric and ferroelectric characteristics were investigated together with the structures. Both X-ray diffraction (XRD) and energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) analysis demonstrated a single-phase perovskite structure in the present ceramics. A broad dielectric peak with strong frequency dispersion feature was determined, which indicated the typical relaxor nature originating from the nanoscale ferroelectric domain structures. These resulted from the structural distortion and chemical disorder due to high-entropy, where the long-range order of ferroelectric domains was destroyed. The homogeneous microstructure led to the reduced leakage current density and significantly improved dielectric strength, which was desired for the practical applications. Compared with the similar systems of Ba(Ti1-xZrx)O3 & Ba(Ti1-xSnx)O3, the present high-entropy ceramics indicated better relaxor ferroelectric characteristics.

Process temperature-dependent interface quality and Maxwell-Wagner interfacial polarization in atomic layer deposited Al2O3/TiO2 nanolaminates for energy storage applications.

Considering the excellent tunability of electrical and dielectric properties in binary metal oxide based multi-layered nanolaminate structures, a thermal atomic layer deposition system is carefully optimized for the synthesis of device grade Al2O3/TiO2 nanolaminates with well-defined artificial periodicity and distinct interfaces, and the role of process temperature in the structural, interfacial, dielectric and electrical properties is systematically investigated. A marginal increase in interfacial interdiffusion in these nanolaminates, at elevated temperatures, is validated using X-ray reflectivity and secondary ion mass spectrometry studies. With an increase in deposition temperature from 150 to 300 °C, the impedance spectroscopy measurements of these nanolaminates exhibited a monotonic increment in dielectric constant from ∼95 to 186, and a decrement in dielectric loss from ∼0.48 to 0.21, while the current-voltage measurements revealed a subsequent reduction in leakage current density from ∼2.24 × 10-5 to 3.45 × 10-7 A cm-2 at 1 V applied bias and an improvement in nanobattery polarization voltage from 100 mV to 700 mV, respectively. This improvement in dielectric and electrical properties at elevated processing temperature is attributed to the reduction in impurity content along with the significant enhancement in sublayer densities and the conductivity contrast driven Maxwell-Wagner interfacial polarisation. Additionally, the devices fabricated at 300 °C exhibited a higher capacitance density of ∼22.87 fF μm-2, a low equivalent oxide thickness of ∼1.51 nm, and a low leakage current density of ∼10-7 A cm-2 (at 1 V bias), making this nanolaminate a promising material for high-density energy storage applications. These findings highlight the ALD process temperature assisted growth chemistry of Al2O3/TiO2 nanolaminates for superior dielectric performance and multifaceted applications.

Effect of Y2O3 interlayer on the electric properties of Y-doped HfO2 film deposited by chemical solution deposition

Ferroelectric oxide becomes the focus of memory industry again after the discovery of ferroelectricity in doped-HfO2 polycrystalline films. Thermal stress is an important factor for the variation of ferroelectric phase content. In this paper, the effect of film stress induced by Y2O3 interlayer in the ferroelectric properties of Y-doped HfO2 (Y: HfO2) ferroelectric films, which is deposited by chemical solution deposition (CSD), is investigated systematically by polarization-voltage measurement. Compared with Y-doped HfO2 film without interlayer, 1 nm Y2O3 interlayer enhances the remanent polarization of Y: HfO2 film due to the effects of film stress and surface energy. And thick Y2O3 interlayer benefits to reduce leakage current density. But polarization switching of HfO2 film is restrained due to the capacitor voltage divider caused by thick Y2O3 interlayer. The obvious enhance effect of Y2O3 interlayer still exists in Y: HfO2 film at high voltage due to the breakdown of Y2O3 interlayer, realizing a huge remanent polarization (Pr) of 22.8 μC/cm2 in Y: HfO2 film (doping content: 4 at %). It is 3.6 times than that of ferroelectric doped-HfO2 film without Y2O3 interlayer.

Studies on the electrical characteristics of a high-k dielectric/metal gate MOS capacitor by high-pressure annealing

In this work, a high-pressure annealing (HPA) technique at 6 atm over a wide range of temperatures (200 °C–450 °C) was used for post-metallization annealing on a high-k/metal gate MOS capacitor. To verify the ability of HPA to improve interface trap density and leakage issues another MOS capacitor with the same structure was annealed by microwave annealing (MWA) for comparison. The electrical performance of the capacitors under different annealing conditions were analyzed and the difference in characteristics such as flat-band voltage shift, oxide trapped charge, interface state density and leakage current were compared. HPA demonstrates a low trap density when compared with other annealing techniques, indicating potential removal of charge traps and a reduction in leakage current density. The results show that HPA is more effective at minimizing the oxide trapped charged at low temperature than MWA at 3000 W and the reduction in leakage current density after HPA at low temperatures corresponds to the reduction in charge traps. HPA at low temperature demonstrates great potential as a post-metallization annealing process for high-k/metal gate structures due to its ability to overcome undesired effects such as diffusion of Al into the dielectric layer.

Enhanced Ferroelectric, Dielectric Properties of Fe-Doped PMN-PT Thin Films

Fe-doped 0.71Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.29PbTiO3 (PMN-PT) thin films were grown in Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrate by a chemical solution deposition method. Effects of the annealing temperature and doping concentration on the crystallinity, microstructure, ferroelectric and dielectric properties of thin film were investigated. High (111) preferred orientation and density columnar structure were achieved in the 2% Fe-doped PMN-PT thin film annealed at 650 °C. The preferred orientation was transferred to a random orientation as the doping concentration increased. A 2% Fe-doped PMN-PT thin film showed the effectively reduced leakage current density, which was due to the fact that the oxygen vacancies were effectively restricted and a transition of Ti4+ to Ti3+ was prevented. The optimal ferroelectric properties of 2% Fe-doped PMN-PT thin film annealed at 650 °C were identified with slim polarization-applied field loops, high saturation polarization (Ps = 78.8 µC/cm2), remanent polarization (Pr = 23.1 µC/cm2) and low coercive voltage (Ec = 100 kV/cm). Moreover, the 2% Fe-doped PMN-PT thin film annealed at 650 °C showed an excellent dielectric performance with a high dielectric constant (εr ~1300 at 1 kHz).

Significantly reduced leakage current density in Mn-doped BiFeO3 thin films deposited using spin coating technique

BiFeO3 (BFO) and Mn-doped BFO thin films are prepared on indium tin oxide/glass substrates using wet chemical deposition technique. The role of Mn defects (3% to 10%) on the leakage current density and other physical properties of BFO thin film devices is investigated. The X-ray diffraction patterns confirm the single-phase formation of rhombohedrally distorted BFO thin films. The scanning electron microscopy images approve uniform and crack-free film depositions, which is of great importance to the practical device applications of such materials. The oxidation states are determined by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). These XPS results reveal the presence of multiple valence states of Fe ions (Fe2+, Fe3+) and Mn (Mn3+, Mn4+) ions, which play a decisive role in determining the leakage current density. However, the Mn-doping at the Fe site in BFO reduces oxygen vacancies and Fe2+ states, hence suppressing the leakage current density. The leakage current density is reduced by three orders of magnitude (10−4 – 10−7) A/cm2, upon Mn-doping as clearly demonstrated by J-V characteristics. These results indicate that the primary contributors to the conduction in BFO based thin films are oxygen vacancies and the Fe2+ states in these devices.

Cobalt ions doped PNN-PHT ceramics with excellent piezoelectric properties

In this study, Co-doped 0.49 Pb(Ni1/3Nb2/3)O3-0.51 Pb(Hf0.3Ti0.7)O3 ceramics with high piezoelectric constants, electromechanical coupling coefficients, and low dielectric losses were prepared by conventional solid-phase reaction method for use as piezoelectric energy harvesters in both resonant and non-resonant working states. XRD results showed the dissolution of Co ions in the crystal lattice, thereby replacing B-sites and transforming the crystal phase into tetragonal phase. Valence states of Co obtained from fitted XPS data confirmed the existence of Co as Co2+ in the lattice. The introduction of Co2+ effectively increased grain size, improved ferroelectric properties, reduced leakage current density, and enhanced electromechanical coupling coefficient kp. Impacts of Co-doping on properties of the as-obtained ceramics were discussed. The optimal performances were obtained at x = 1.25, with piezoelectric constant d33~780 pC/N, electromechanical coupling coefficient kp~0.62, and dielectric loss tan δ = 0.78%. In sum, the excellent piezoelectric properties of Co-doped PNN-PHT ceramics look promising for use as piezoelectric energy harvesters.