Dielectric properties of sol-gel derived barium-strontium-titanate (Ba(0.4)Sr(0.6)TiO(3)) thin films

The structural and dielectric properties of sol-gel derived barium-strontium-titanate (Ba(0.4)Sr(0.6)TiO(3 )) thin films have been investigated. The as-fired films are found to be amorphous, and films crystallize to a cubic phase after a post deposition annealing at 700 degrees C for one hour in air. The variation of dielectric constant with temperature and field was investigated as a function of film thickness. These films display a nonlinear dielectric response that can be described in terms of a power series expansion of the free energy in polarization as in Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire approach. The measured room temperature dielectric constant (epsilon') of the film was about 320. The dielectric constant did not show any significant frequency dependence up to 100 kHz. The temperature dependence of dielectric constant exhibited a diffused ferroelectric to paraelectric phase transition at -60 degrees C. The room temperature dielectric constant and magnitude of the dielectric peak at the Curie point was dependent on the thickness of the film. The obtained dielectric data on sol-gel barium strontium titanate thin films on platinized substrates were analyzed in the light of a barrier layer model.