The dielectric properties of [100]-oriented epitaxial SrTiO3 films as
used in high-T(c) heterostructures have been studied as a function of
temperature and applied electric field by using in situ grown heterost
ructures (Mg/SrTiO3/SrTiO3:Nb and Au/YBa2Cu3O7-x/SrTiO3/SrTiO3:Nb). Th
e dielectric behavior of these films is characterized by a rather low
sample capacitance as compared to bulk single-crystal values and by oc
currences of maxima in the capacitance-voltage and capacitance-tempera
ture curves. The maximum attainable polarization was found to be 80 mC
/m2 at 4.2 K. Complementary measurements on single crystals of SrTiO3
and SrTiO3:Nb reveal that the behavior of these SrTiO3 thin films can
be understood from the bulk properties with additional strong charge t
rapping at the film-substrate interface.