Characterization of large ferroelectric polarization and high-T_C in sol–gel deposited PbTiO₃-based perovskite thin films

BiMeO₃–PbTiO₃ (where Me represents transition metals) perovskite-type thin films have been widely studied due to their superior ferroelectric properties, including robust ferroelectric polarization and high Curie temperatures. In this study, PbTiO₃-based perovskite thin films of xBi(Cu_1/2Zr_1/2)O₃–(1 – x)PbTiO₃ (xBCZ–(1 – x)PT) were designed and prepared on Pt(111)/Ti/SiO₂/Si substrates using the conventional sol–gel method. The xBCZ–(1 – x)PT thin films demonstrate remarkable crystallinity, characterized by a perovskite structure and a dense microstructure, which contribute to their high-performance ferroelectric and fatigue properties. Notably, the thin films exhibit large remnant polarization (2P_r) values, reaching 98 μC⋅cm⁻² and 74 μC⋅cm⁻² for the 0.05BCZ–0.95PT and 0.1BCZ–0.9PT compositions, respectively. Furthermore, the thin films also demonstrate a high Curie temperature (T_C = 510 °C), as well as favorable fatigue properties and low leakage current, suggesting their potential applicability in ferroelectric devices.