Epitaxial ferroelectric/antiferroelectric (FE/AFE) PbZr0.8Ti0.2O3/PbZrO3 (PZT/PZO) multilayers (MLs), grown by pulsed laser deposition (PLD), of different thickness were studied. Hysteresis, switching current-voltage and capacitance-voltage curves of the MLs with an individual layer thickness above 10 nm show a mixed AFE-FE behavior, whereas below 10 nm the MLs show only FE behavior. Obviously, the PZO layers thinner than 10 nm underwent a transition into the FE state with a corresponding symmetry change from orthorhombic to rhombohedral. XRD and RSM showed a corresponding orthorhombic-to-rhombohedral transition of the PZO layers. HRTEM images were taken in order to investigate the microstructure of the PZO/PZT MLs. The observations are discussed in terms of a strain effect. Moreover, the structure-properties relations of PZO and PZT single films were explored in details. The temperature behavior of PZO films with different orientations was studied. The results indicate a coexistence of FE and AFE properties in PZO films, particularly at low temperature. |