Temperature effects on charge retention characteristics of integrated SrBi2(Ta,Nb)2O9 capacitors

Temperature effects on charge retention characteristics of integrated SrBi2(Ta,Nb)2O9 thin film capacitors were examined in the temperature range of 27–150°C. The decay in remanent polarization at 27°C was linear in logarithmic time from 10−3 to 105 s with a decay rate of 0.24 μC/cm2 per decade. The elevation of storage temperature resulted in an instantaneous decrease in remanent polarization, while the decay rate at elevated temperatures after the instantaneous decrease was as small as that at 27°C. The instantaneous decrease in remanent polarization caused by elevating the temperature was explained by the temperature dependence of spontaneous polarization in the vicinity of the second order transition temperature. The development of asymmetry in the hysteresis loop during high temperature storing indicates that the logarithmic time dependence of the decay in remanent polarization is due to redistribution of space charges rather than polarization reversal.