Epitaxial ferroelectric PbZrxTi1-xO3 thin films for non-volatile memory applications

Epitaxial ferroelectric PbZrxTi1-xO3 (PZT) thin film capacitors with SrRuO3 (SRO) bottom electrodes have been fabricated by pulsed laser deposition on LaAlO3 (001) substrates. X-ray diffraction measurements revealed that epit axial heterostructures with a high crystalline quality were obtained. Ferro electric capacitors were defined by thermal evaporation of aluminium contac t pads onto the PZT films. Remnant polarizations of about 13 mu C/cm(2) and coercive fields of about 150 kV/cm are obtained at a frequency of 10 Hz. T he capacitors show very little fatigue of the remnant polarization with cum ulative switching. A tendency to imprint, arising from the use of asymmetri c electrodes, is observed. (C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserv ed.