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Abstract

A series of 400-nm-thick sandwich structured Pb(1+x)ZrO3/(Pb,Eu)ZrO3/Pb(1+x)ZrO3(PZO/PEZO/PZO) antiferro-electric thin films with different Pb excess content (x) (x=0%, 10%, 20%, and 30%) in the PZO precursors have been successfully deposited on Pt(111)/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates by a sol–gel method. The effects of Pb excess content on the dielectric properties, and energy storage performance of the PZO/PEZO/PZO thin films have been investigated in detail. It is found that all the films show a unique perovskite phase structure. With increasing Pb excess content in the PZO precursors, P-E hysteresis loop changes from slanted to square shape. Meanwhile, a larger antiferroelectric to ferroelectric switching field (EAF) and ferroelectric to antiferroelectric switching field (EFA) are observed in the films with higher Pb excess content. When increasing Pb excess content from 0% to 30%, the energy storage density of the sandwich structured films is remarkably improved from 11.4 to 14.8 J/cm3 at 1000 kV/cm.