PLD growth and characteristics of lead-free NKLNST ferroelectric nanotubes

Lead-free (Na0.5358K0.4042Li0.06)(Nb0.893Sb0.057Ta0.05)O-3 (NKLNST) nanotubes were successfully grown on Pt(111)/Ti/Sio(2)/Si(001) substrates by using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) with home-made ceramic target under relatively high O-2 partial pressures. The as-grown NKLNST nanotubes exhibited a perovskite phase and grew along (001) direction. The nanotubes' outer diameters are ranging between 100 and 200 nm, their typical length is around 1 mu m with a wall thickness of 10-20 nm. The films composed of NKLNST nanotubes show well-defined P-E hysteresis loops, with P-r of 3.77 mu C/cm(2) and E-c of 37.6 kV/cm. While under low electric field, the charge transport is dominated by ohmic conduction, at high electric fields, space charge-limited current turns out to be the governing leakage mechanism in these films. The work shows the potential of PLD in the synthesis of nanostructures of complex oxides under proper conditions. (C) 2020 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier B.V.