Fatigue and Refreshment of (Pb, La)TiO3 Thin Films by Multiple Cathode Sputtering

The ferroelectric fatigue and refreshment of (Pb, La)TiO3 thin films by multiple cathode rf-magnetron sputtering were investigated. The remanent polarization of the fatigued (Pb, La)TiO3 thin films increased after the application of the DC bias voltage of -20 V for 104 s. By heat treatment of the fatigued films at 400° C for 1 h, the coercive field decreased, and squareness of the loop was improved. These behaviors were discussed from the viewpoint of the behavior of defect dipoles.