Polarization induced self-doping in epitaxial Pb(Zr0.20Ti0.80)O3 thin films.

ABSTRACT: The compensation of the depolarization field in ferroelectric layers requires the presence of a suitable amount of charges able to follow any variation of the ferroelectric polarization. These can be free carriers or charged defects located in the ferroelectric material or free carriers coming from the electrodes. Here we show that a self-doping phenomenon occurs in epitaxial, tetragonal ferroelectric films of Pb(Zr0.2Ti0.8)O3, consisting in generation of point defects (vacancies) acting as donors/acceptors. These are introducing free carriers that partly compensate the depolarization field occurring in the film. It is found that the concentration of the free carriers introduced by self-doping increases with decreasing the thickness of the ferroelectric layer, reaching values of the order

SUBMITTER: Pintilie L 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4597211 | biostudies-literature | 2015 Oct

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature