SrBi2Ta2O9(SBT) capacitors were integrated to the structure for a mega-bit nonvolatile memory, and their electrical properties after metallization were investigated. Annealing above 500°C after contact-etching was necessary to obtain good electrical properties. A well saturated hysteresis loop with 2Pr of more than 15μC/cm2 was obtained for the 0.7×0.7μm capacitor. The read-out polarization was very stable in 105 sec after the write-pulse. No fatigue or imprint was observed up to 1011 cycles. These results show suitability of SBT capacitors for a mega-bit non-volatile memory.

Structural and electrical properties were investigated for chemically prepared SrBi2Ta2O9(SBT) thin films on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates. Good ferroelectric properties were obtained with a Pt top electrode: Pr=10.0μC/cm2 and Ec-34kV/cm. Au top electrodes resulted in smaller Pr. However, no fatigue was observed up to 109 switching cycles regardless of the top electrode material. Grains were spherical, not columnar, and the average grain size was 200nm. A marked structural change took place in the bottom Pt/Ti electrode during film preparation. The SIMS analysis indicates the reaction between Bi and Pt