Abstract
(001)-oriented BiFeO3 (BFO) thin films were grown on SrxCa1-xRuO3- (SCRO; x = 1, 0.67, 0.33, 0) buffered SrTiO3 (001) substrates using pulsed laser deposition. The microstructural, electrical, ferroelectric, and piezoelectric properties of the thin films were considerably affected by the buffer layers. The interface between the BFO films and the SCRO-buffer layer was found to play a dominant role in determining the electrical and piezoelectric behaviors of the films. We found that films grown on SrRuO3-buffer layers exhibited minimal electrical leakage while films grown on Sr0.33Ca0.67RuO3-buffer layers had the largest piezoelectric response. The origin of this difference is discussed. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4724332]