Ferroelectricity of BiFeO₃ Thin Films by Pulsed Laser Deposition and Effect of Atmosphere

In this study, BiFeO3 (BFO) epitaxial film was deposited on SrRuO3 (100)/SrTiO3 (100) substrates using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Phase pure BFO thin film was obtained. Introducing a mask between the target and substrate in PLD improved the surface roughness from 47.8 nm (RMS, without mask) to 7.7 nm (RMS, with mask). The composition and electrical properties of BFO thin film were assessed after annealing for 1 h in Ar, N2, or O2 atmosphere at 600°C. The P-E hysteresis properties improved only in the O2 atmosphere. After annealing under O2 atmosphere, the leakage current decreased from 6.1 × 10-2 A/cm to 2.9 × 10-2 A/cm at 200 kV/cm, as in the other annealing atmospheres, but 2Pr increased from 35 BC/cm2 to 50 BC/cm2.