Processing and Characterization of Pure and Doped Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 Thin Films for Tunable Microwave Applications

ABSTRACTBa1−xSrxTiO3 thin films are being developed for high-density DRAM devices. The nonlinearity of its dielectric properties with respect to applied dc voltage makes it attractive for tunable microwave devices. For successful integration into microwave devices, extremely reliable Ba1−xSrxTiO3 thin films with enhanced dielectric and insulating properties are desired. Properties of Ba1−xSrxTiO3are typically varied by changing the Ba/Sr ratio and/or doping. In this paper, we reports on the effects of acceptor and donor doping on the microstructural and electrical properties of Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 (BST) thin films deposited by metalorganic solution deposition technique on platinum coated silicon substrates. The effects of doping on structure, dielectric permittivity, dielectric loss tangent, and leakage current have been analyzed. The structure of the films was analyzed by x-ray diffraction (XRD). The surface morphology of the films was examined by field emission scanning electron microscope (FESEM) and atomic force microscope (AFM). The electrical measurements were conducted on MIM capacitors using Pt as the top and bottom electrode. It was possible to significantly improve the dielectric loss and leakage current characteristics, and control the dielectric tunability by doping the BST thin films.