Imprint failures and asymmetric electrical properties induced by thermal processes in epitaxial Bi4Ti3O12 thin films

Abstract

Epitaxial Bi4Ti3O12 (BTO) thin films were deposited on MgO(001) substrates using Pt layers as top and bottom electrodes. In spite of the apparently symmetric capacitor structure, polarization–voltage measurements revealed strong imprint failures and current–voltage measurements showed rectifying behaviors. Imprint pulse tests with a 5 V dc bias and post-annealing treatments suggested that the asymmetric behaviors should be due to interfacial states induced by thermal processes. To probe the interfacial states, capacitance–voltage (C–V) measurements were performed. By fitting the C–V data with a model which describes the Pt/BTO/Pt structure as a series circuit composed of three capacitors, built-in voltages at the top and the bottom interfaces could be determined. Difference in the built-in voltages could explain the imprint failures and the rectifying behaviors. The interfacial states in the BTO capacitors were controlled by varying electrode materials.