Abstract <p>Ru-doped Bi_0.9Pr_0.1Fe_1-xRu_xO₃ (<i>x</i> = 0, 0.005, 0.01, 0.0125, 0.015) polycrystalline films were fabricated on single crystal Si substrates by a sol-gel method. The structure, valence states and morphology of the doped films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), Raman spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM), and the electromagnetic properties were explored by ferroelectric testing and vibrating sample magnetometry (VSM). The XRD analyses determined that the doped films had a distorted perovskite structure with space group R3c. With an increase in the concentration of Ru ions, the remanent polarization (2<i>Pr</i>) and saturation magnetization (Ms) increase and then decrease. The maximum 2<i>Pr</i> and Ms can be achieved at <i>x</i> = 1%Ru, which are 110.73 µC/cm² and 36.7 emu/cm³, respectively. Additionally, micro-patterned Bi_0.9Pr_0.1Fe_0.99Ru_0.01O₃ films were fabricated successfully utilizing the photosensitive sol-gel technique, in which Bpy was used as a chelating agent, and rinsing was conducted for 30 s in the solution of acrylic acid and isopropyl alcohol (1:15 v/v).</p> Graphical abstract <p></p>