Seiji Nakashima

Polycrystalline BiFeO3 (BFO) thin films have been prepared on Pt/TiO2/SiO2/Si substrates by using a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method under a magnetic field. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern shows a single-phase perovskite structure with no secondary phases, and (010) and (020) peaks slightly shift to lower angles in comparison with those of a BFO thin film prepared without a magnetic field. A columnar structure and small grain size were observed and the leakage current is slightly high in comparison with that of a BFO thin film prepared without a magnetic field. A polarization versus electric field (P–E) hysteresis loop was obtained at RT and the polarization at zero electric field is 50 µC/cm2. Ferroelectric domain switching corresponding to up and down polarization states was confirmed. An enhanced piezoelectric coefficient (d33) of about 100 pm/V has been obtained at a certain point. Ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties were affected by a columnar microstructure formed by magnetic field application.