RF SPUTTERED BISMUTH FERRITE THIN FILMS: EFFECT OF ANNEALING DURATION

Polycrystalline BFO thin films of similar thickness but subjected to different annealing durations (2 hr and 4 hr) were deposited on SRO/Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si substrates via RF sputtering. Phase identification by using X-ray diffractions confirms the pure BFO phase of the thin films fabricated. Polarization–Electric Field (P–E) loop study measured at different frequencies shows that a longer annealing duration led to the formation of space charges in the BFO thin films and thus caused a poor ferroelectric property observed in the hysteresis loop. The results of leakage current measurement for the two BFO films are consistent with the ferroelectric measurement, where a higher leakage current is demonstrated by the BFO film annealed for 4 hr.