Ferroelectric properties of BiFeO₃ thin films deposited on substrates with large lattice mismatch

Abstract

Abstract BiFeO 3 thin films have been grown on large lattice mismatched substrates – LaAlO 3 (001) and MgO(001) – and their properties compared with those grown on SrTiO 3 (001) substrates. While epitaxial growth occurs on LaAlO 3 and SrTiO 3 substrates, the film grows highly textured on MgO substrate. In spite of the lattice mismatch, all the films exhibit excellent ferroelectric polarization and low leakage current characteristics. The present study indicates that close lattice parameter matching or strain induction is not a stringent criterion for the observation of ferroelectric behavior in BiFeO 3 films. (© 2010 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)