Experimental determination of interfacial-layer thickness from polarization-voltage hysteresis loops in Pb(Zr0.4Ti0.6)O3 thin films -: art. no. 202904

Interfacial layers near top and bottom electrodes with low resistivity in Pb(Zr0.4Ti0.6)O-3 (PZT) thin film are identified and modeled through frequency-dependent polarization-voltage (P-V) hysteresis loops at frequencies below 20 kHz. Actual voltage drops, as well as built-in imprint voltage across the intrinsic ferroelectric layer, are found to be frequency dependent, as shown from the linear voltage shift of P-V hysteresis loops against applied external voltage at different frequencies with respect to one referenced hysteresis loop. Calculated interfacial-layer thickness is about 32 +/- 2 nm for an Ir/IrO2/PZT/Pt/SiO2/Si capacitor with a PZT film thickness of 100 nm, in good agreement with the resistive measurements by Chu et al. [Appl. Phys. Lett. 81, 5204 (2002)]. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics.