Low-energy oxygen ion bombardment effect on BaTiO₃ thin films grown by multi-ion-beam reactive sputtering technique

Abstract

Low-energy oxygen ion bombardment was employed to modify the physical properties of BaTiO₃ thin films grown by the multi-ion-beam reactive sputtering technique. The bombardment effect was shown in terms of film morphology, dielectric properties, dc resistivity degradation, and current-voltage characteristics. The results showed that oxygen ion bombardment can lead to denser morphology, a higher dielectric constant, a lower dissipation factor, slower dc resistivity degradation rate, and lower leakage current. The possible reasons for these improvements include the changes in void network structure, grain boundary structure, and defect structure of the films.