Energy Storage Characteristics of BiFeO3/BaTiO3 Bi-Layers Integrated on Si

Abstract

BiFeO₃/BaTiO₃ bi-layer thick films (~1 μm) were deposited on Pt/Ti/SiO₂/(100) Si substrates with LaNiO₃ buffer layers at 500 °C via a rf magnetron sputtering process. X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis revealed that both BiFeO₃ and BaTiO₃ layers have a (00<i>l</i>) preferred orientation. The films showed a small remnant polarization (<i>P_r</i> ~ 7.8 μC/cm²) and a large saturated polarization (<i>Ps</i> ~ 65 μC/cm²), resulting in a slim polarization-electric field (<i>P-E</i>) hysteresis loop with improved energy storage characteristics (<i>W_c</i> = 71 J/cm³, <i>η</i> = 61%). The successful "slim-down" of the <i>P-E</i> loop from that of the pure BiFeO₃ film can be attributed to the competing effects of space charges and the interlayer charge coupling on charge transport of the bi-layer film. The accompanying electrical properties of the bi-layer films were measured and the results confirmed their good quality.