Dynamics of polarization loss in (Pb, La)(Zr, Ti)O3 thin film capacitors

We report results of high-speed polarization relaxation measurements in ferroelectric thin film capacitors. Polarization relaxation has been reported to occur in two distinct time regimes, one for relaxation times in the range of a few milliseconds and a second for longer relaxation times. We find that the polarization relaxation in the first regime is governed by at least two different physical processes, namely depoling fields and the activation field for switching. Using prototypical epitaxial PbZr0.2Ti0.8O3 and Pb0.9La0.1Zr0.2Ti0.8O3 test capacitors, we demonstrate the effect of film microstructure and switching speed on the relaxation dynamics in the first regime. © 1998 American Institute of Physics.