Low-temperature growth and interface characterization of BiFeO3 thin films with reduced leakage current

${\mathrm{BiFeO}}_3$ (BFO) thin films of pure perovskite phase were deposited on ${\mathrm{LaNiO}}_3$ -buffered $\mathrm{Pt}∕\mathrm{TiOx}∕{\mathrm{SiO}}_2∕\mathrm{Si}$ (LNO) and $\mathrm{Pt}∕\mathrm{TiOx}∕{\mathrm{SiO}}_2∕\mathrm{Si}$ (Pt) substrates by RF magnetron sputtering. Highly (100)-oriented BFO film was coherently grown on LNO at a temperature as low as 300 °C. The crystal structure and the film/electrode interface of BFO films were characterized using x-ray diffraction and scanning transmission electron microscope high-angle annular dark-field imaging. The conventional problem of the leakage current was greatly reduced with remarkable improvement in the film/electrode interface, chemical homogeneity, crystallinity, and surface roughness of the BFO film.