The effect of Bi2O3 compensation during thermal treatment on the crystalline and electrical characteristics of bismuth titanate thin films

Bismuth titanate thin films are deposited on ITO/glass substrates by rf magnetron sputtering at room temperature using a Bi4Ti3O12 ceramic target. The deposited Bi4Ti3O12 films are annealed in a conventional furnace in ambient air for 10 min at temperatures ranging from 550 to 640 degrees C. One specimen is annealed in a crucible containing additional Bi2O3 compensation powder, while the other specimen is annealed in ambient air. XRD analysis shows that the crystal phases of films annealed with Bi2O3 powder are better than those of films annealed without Bi2O3 powder. Furthermore, the EDS results reveal that the bismuth weight percentage of the former is higher than that of the latter. SIMS analysis shows that the bismuth decreases near the surface of Bi4Ti3O12 film annealed without Bi2O3 powder, but reveals a stable distribution throughout the film annealed with Bi2O3 powder. These results imply that bismuth is readily evaporated during the thermal treatment process, particularly from the region near the film surface. Finally, the dielectric and polarization properties of the thin films annealed with Bi2O3 powder are found to be superior to those of the films annealed in ambient air. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd and Techna Group S.r.l. All rights reserved.