Published online by Cambridge University Press: 10 February 2011
A conductivity difference in a PZT film in a Pt/PZT/Pt capacitor was found by novel charged-up SIMS analyses for the first time. The charged-up SIMS technique was useful for evaluating the conductivity profile in the PZT film. It was found that the conductive region existed in an as-prepared PZT film near the bottom Pt electrode. After hydrogen plasma treatment at 45°C, the conductive region increased in the PZT film near the top electrode. Electrical measurements showed that the leakage current of the capacitor increased after hydrogen treatment. The hydrogen was expected to reduce PZT both at grain boundaries and the electrode-PZT interfaces, and to form the conductive region, which induced an increase in leakage current.