Studies on electrical and multiferroic properties of chemical solution deposited (Bi0.95La0.05)(Fe0.97Cr0.03)O3/CoFe2O4 double layered thin film capacitors

(Bi0.95La0.05)(Fe0.97Cr0.03)O-3/CoFe2O4 double layered thin film was prepared on a Pt(111)/Ti/SiO2/Si(100) substrate by using a chemical solution deposition method. By introducing CoFe2O4 buffer layer, the leakage current density and the multiferroic properties have been significantly improved. Low leakage current density of 3.3 x 10(-7) A/cm(2) at 100 kV/cm, saturated ferroelectric hysteresis loop with 2P(r) of 33 mu C/cm(2) and 2E(c) of 1120 kV/cm at applied electric field of 1180 kV/cm and ferromagnetic hysteresis loop with 2M(r) of 39 kA/m and 2H(c) of 298 kA/m at the magnetic field of 1587 kA/m were observed in the double layered thin film at room temperature. The improved electrical and multiferroic properties are ascribed to the stabilized perovskite structure by reducing oxygen vacancies due to the co-doping elements, which may also suppress the cycloid spin structure in BiFeO3. Furthermore, CoFe2O4 buffer layer acts as a current barrier of (La, Cr) co-doped BiFeO3. (C) 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.