Characterization of SrBi<inf>2</inf>Ta<inf>2</inf>O<inf>9</inf> films prepared by metalorganic decomposition using rapid thermal annealing

Abstract

The SrBi2Ta2O9 (SBT) thin films were prepared on Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si substrates by metalorganic decomposition method. The films were annealed layer by layer at 650-800°C for 3 minutes in oxygen using rapid thermal annealing. The structure, morphology and electrical properties of as-deposited films were characterized using X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscope, Auger electron spectroscopy and some electrical measurement. The films showed smaller grains, higher density, less interfacial diffusion and smaller remnant polarization than those annealed in conventional tube furnace. The remnant polarization and coercive field at applied voltage of 3 V were 8.7μC/cm2 and 13.4kV/cm, respectively, for the 440nm-thick films annealed at 750°C. The coercive field was much lower than those reported previously. This is advantageous to low voltage applications in nonvolatile memory. The films also exhibited no fatigue after 1010 cycles switching and no loss after 105s retention time.