Enhanced ferroelectric properties of Cr-doped BiFeO3 thin films grown by chemical solution deposition

Multiferroic Cr-doped BiFeO3 (BFO) thin films were prepared on Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si(100) substrates by a chemical solution deposition method. From the x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy measurements, it was observed that the valence number of Fe ion in undoped and Cr-doped BFO thin films was found to be almost 3+. It was found that Cr-doped BFO thin films exhibited good ferroelectric properties, such as improved leakage-current density and P-E hysteresis characteristics. The 3 mol % Cr-doped BFO thin film showed a leakage-current density of 9.2x10(-7) A/cm(2) at 100 kV/cm and a large remanent polarization (P-r) of 61 mu C/cm(2) at room temperature. (c) 2006 American Institute of Physics.