Polarization switching characteristics of 0.5BaTi{sub 0.8}Zr{sub 0.2}O{sub 3}-0.5Ba{sub 0.7}Ca{sub 0.3}TiO{sub 3} lead free ferroelectric thin films by pulsed laser deposition

We report on the ferroelectricity for morphotropic-phase-boundary lead (Pb) free 0.5BaTi{sub 0.8}Zr{sub 0.2}O{sub 3}-0.5Ba{sub 0.7}Ca{sub 0.3}TiO{sub 3} (0.5BZT-0.5BCT) thin films. Thin films were grown on Pt/Ti/SiO{sub 2}/Si substrate using pulsed laser deposition. Raman spectroscopic data combined with the X-ray diffraction analyses confirm body centered tetragonal crystallographic structure 0.5BZT-0.5 BCT thin films on Pt/Ti/SiO{sub 2}/Si. Polarization studies demonstrate that these 0.5BZT-0.5BCT films exhibit a large remnant and saturation polarization of 37 μC/cm{sup 2} and 40 μC/cm{sup 2}, respectively, with a coercive field of 140 kV/cm. A correlation between polarization dynamics, structural distortion, and phonon vibration is established. The splitting of X-ray diffraction peak of the thin film in the 2θ range of 44.5° to 46.5° represents high degree of tetragonality. The tetragonality factor calculated by Rietveld analysis was found to be 0.006 and can be a major cause for the increased remnant polarization value. It is established from Raman spectra that the non-centrosymmetricity due to the displacement of Ti/Zr ions from its octahedral position is related to the peak position as well as the broadening of the A{sub 1} (LO) optical phonon mode. This increase of broadness in the thin film causes an increase in the dipole moment of the unit cell and, hence, the net increase in polarization values.