Enhanced ferroelectric properties of Ce-substituted BiFeO3 thin films prepared by sol-gel process

Ce-substituted BiFeO3 film (BCFO film) have been prepared by sol-gel process on F doped SnO2 (FTO)/glass substrates. The effects of Ce substitution on the structural and electrical properties have been reported. X-ray diffraction data confirmed the R3c structure with the elimination of all secondary phases. We observed an increase in the remnant polarization (Pr) with Ce substitution and obtained a maximum value of similar to 84 mu C/cm(2) in 5% Ce-substituted film. The dielectric constant of the films was increased from 280 to about 420 for the BiFeO3 film and 5% Ce-substituted BCFO film, respectively and the films showed excellent dielectric loss behavior. Moreover, the leakage current was substantially reduced by the Ce substitution.