Strategies for regulating energy storage characteristics of relaxor ferroelectric films

Relaxor ferroelectric film capacitors exhibit several advantageous characteristics, including high power density, rapid charge and discharge rates, lightweight construction, compact size, and ease of integration, aligning with the ongoing trend toward high energy density in microelectronic devices. Currently, the recoverable energy density in the relaxor ferroelectric films has exceeded 100 J/cm³, and their charge-discharge efficiencies are higher than 90%. Furthermore, these films demonstrate high breakdown strength and exceptional fatigue resistance, suggesting the preliminary formation of practical value. Based on the energy storage principles of relaxor ferroelectric films, this paper investigates methods for regulating energy storage characteristics of these films from experimental perspective, including element doping, composite structures, and solid solutions. It also explores the physical mechanisms underlying these three regulatory methods at the microscopic, mesoscopic, and macroscopic scales, as well as their advantages and limitations in enhancing energy storage characteristics. The analysis indicates although element doping is easy to achieve, its regulatory scope is limited, and the improvement of the energy storage characteristics relaxor ferroelectric films is not ideal. The composite structure, by using the approximate linear superposition of the related properties of two or more materials, has further improved the energy storage characteristics. However, the lattice mismatch caused by the macro-level interlayer coupling leads to an increase in defect density, which reduces the breakdown strength and reliability of the film. In contrast, the solid solution strategy, by matching different material systems at the microscopic lattice scale, effectively regulates the coexistence of multiple phases and polar nanoregions, significantly enhancing the energy storage characteristics of relaxor ferroelectric films. The research results can provide comprehensive research strategy guidance for improving the energy storage characteristics of relaxor ferroelectric films. <fig fig-type="abstract-image" id="F1" orientation="portrait" position="float"><graphic xmlns:xlink="http://www.w3.org/1999/xlink" xlink:href="1000-2618-2025-42-2-123/27573249-1AA2-4f5b-A44E-7299362FEA08-F001.jpg"/></fig>