Ferroelectric fatigue of Pb(Zr,Ti)O-3 thin films measured in atmospheres of varying oxygen concentration

Ferroelectric fatigue in Pb(Zr,Ti)O-3 films was found to be remarkably sens itive to the oxygen partial pressure of the atmosphere above the film durin g measurement. Films with Zr/Ti ratios of 55/45 and 75/25 were subjected to ferroelectric fatigue testing at room temperature in atmospheres of variou s oxygen partial pressure, or pO(2). The number of switching cycles at whic h the onset of fatigue occurred was found to be sharply peaked with respect to the oxygen partial pressure surrounding the sample. Such a striking dep endence on the oxygen concentration strongly supports current theories for fatigue that involve oxygen vacancy migration. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(99)00726-3].