Enhanced energy storage properties of epitaxial (Ba0.955Ca0.045)(Zr0.17Ti0.83)O3 ferroelectric thin films.

(Ba0.955Ca0.045)(Zr0.17Ti0.83)O3 [BCZT] epitaxial were grown on La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (LSMO)‐coated (100)‐oriented MgO single crystal substrates by the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. Herein, we report crystal structure, ferroelectric, piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM), and energy storage properties near the morphotropic phase boundary (MPB) composition of [Ba0.850Ca0.15Zr0.1Ti0.90O3] solid solution. Epitaxial growth of the films was confirmed using X‐ray diffraction (XRD) spectra. Room‐temperature Raman spectroscopy confirms perovskite phase of BCZT films. Room‐temperature polarization‐electric field (P‐E) loops confirm the ferroelectric nature of BCZT films. Ferroelectric hysteresis loops demonstrate high saturation polarization (Pmax ~ 97.96 μC/cm2) and remanant polarization (Pr ~ 70.1 μC/cm2) at an applied maximum electric field ~2.77 MV/cm. The optimized BCZT epitaxial thin films have shown moderate dielectric properties at different measured frequencies (10‐100 kHz). Nanoscale piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM) images demonstrate switchable ferroelectric polarization of these thin films above ±9 V of dc voltage applied. Energy storage properties measured from ferroelectric loops revealed a high discharge curve energy density ~27.5 J/cm3 at a maximum electric field of 2.77 MV/cm. Epitaxial‐grown BCZT films are suitable candidate materials for capacitor applications. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]