The self‐biased heterojunction effect of ferroelectric thin film on silicon substrate

Several ferroelectric thin films with n‐type or p‐type conductivity, including undoped and doped lead zirconate titanate, barium titanate, strontium barium niobate, and potassium niobate, as well as lead barium niobate, were made on silicon single‐crystal substrates by the sol‐gel process. Self‐biased heterojunction effects were observed in both p‐ferroelectric thin film on n‐silicon and n‐ferroelectric thin film on p‐silicon by the measurement of current‐voltage characteristics. It has been observed that either p‐n junction or n‐p junction in the ferroelectric‐semiconductor systems behave like a rectifying diode. However, the junction effect is weak in the p‐ferroelectric thin film on p‐silicon system. A physical model based on the consideration of energy‐band theory has been constructed in explaining this effect. Possible applications of this effect are discussed.

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