Enhancement of Polarization in Ferroelectric Films via the Incorporation of Gold Nanoparticles

Ferroelectric thin films have been extremely studied for many applications such as nonvolatile memories, super capacitors, and solar cells. For these devices, improving the polarization properties of ferroelectric thin films is of great significance to their performance. Here, Au-lead zirconate titanate (PZT) nanocomposite thin films were prepared by a simple one-step chemical solution deposition (CSD) method on silicon substrates, and the effects of Au concentration on the ferroelectric properties were investigated. The experimental results show that the remanent polarization of the Au-PZT films with 1.2 mol % Au is about 80 μC/cm², which is 50% higher than that of the pure PZT thin films. On the basis of the analysis of chemical valences, the enhanced polarization properties can be ascribed to the interaction between Au nanoparticles (Au NPs) and PZT at the Au-PZT interfaces. Our results demonstrate that the incorporation of an appropriate amount of Au NPs is an effective way to enhance the polarization properties of ferroelectric films. The Au-PZT nanocomposite thin films with excellent polarization properties on silicon substrates are expected to be widely used in integrated ferroelectric devices.