Substrate effect on the resistive switching in BiFeO3 thin films

TL;DR

This study investigates how different substrates influence the resistive switching behavior of BiFeO3 thin films, revealing substrate-dependent structural and electrical properties crucial for memory device applications.

Contribution

It demonstrates that substrate choice significantly affects the resistive switching in BiFeO3 thin films, highlighting the importance of substrate engineering for device performance.

Findings

BiFeO3 films on Pt/sapphire are not resistively switchable due to Schottky contacts.

BiFeO3 films on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si exhibit clear resistive switching behavior.

Different conduction mechanisms are identified based on substrate type.

Abstract

BiFeO3 thin films have been deposited on Pt/sapphire and Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates with pulsed laser deposition using the same growth conditions, respectively. Au was sputtered as the top electrode. The microscopic structure of the thin film varies by changing the underlying substrate. Thin films on Pt/sapphire are not resistively switchable due to the formation of Schottky contacts at both the top and the bottom interface. However, thin films on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si exhibit an obvious resistive switching behavior under forward bias. The conduction mechanisms in BiFeO3 thin films on Pt/sapphire and Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates are discussed to understand the different resistive switching behaviors.