Correlations between grain size and nonlinear dielectric properties of as-deposited SrTiO3 thin films

• Published in: Thin solid films Vol. 478; no. 1-2; pp. 261 - 264
• Main Authors: He, Shiming, Li, Yanrong, Liu, Xingzhao, Tao, Bowan, Li, Dehong, Lu, Qingfang
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Lausanne Elsevier B.V 01.05.2005; Elsevier Science
• Subjects: Atomic force microscopy (AFM); Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Dielectric properties; Dielectric thin films; Dielectrics, piezoelectrics, and ferroelectrics and their properties; Exact sciences and technology; Ferroelectric materials; Grain boundary; Growth mechanism; Laser deposition; Materials science; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Physics; Pulse laser deposition; X-ray diffraction; Atomic force microscopy (AFM); Ferroelectric materials; Dielectric properties; Growth mechanism; Pulse laser deposition; X-ray diffraction; 77.55; Grain boundary; Grain size; Temperature dependence; Inorganic compounds; Nucleation; Ternary compounds; Transition element compounds; Supersaturation; Crystal growth from vapors; Experimental study; Density; Pulsed lasers; Electric field effects; Dielectric thin films; Dissipation; Size effect; Strontium titanates; Laser ablation technique; Permittivity
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/j.tsf.2004.10.033

The effects of grain size on nonlinear dielectric properties of as-deposited SrTiO3(STO) thin films were studied by using interdigital capacitor. C-axis-oriented STO thin films with different grain size were deposited onto interdigital electrodes made from YBa2Cu3O7−x thin films by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. The grain size of as-deposited STO thin films increased with substrate temperature, and reached a maximum value at 700 °C. With further increase of substrate temperature, the grain size decrease rapidly because of the negative oxygen supersaturation and the high nucleation density. The nonlinear dielectric properties measurements showed to be highly correlated with the grain size of STO thin films; the zero-bias dielectric constant, the dielectric dissipation, and the tunability decreased with the decrease of the grain size.