Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Effect of annealing atmosphere on microstructural and photoluminescence characteristics of multiferroic BiFeO3 thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition technique

  • Published:
Applied Physics A Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

The effect of annealing atmosphere on microstructural and photoluminescence characteristics of multiferroic BiFeO3 (BFO) thin films deposited by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique is reported. The films annealed in oxygen environment showed improved microstructure and photoluminescence (PL) characteristics. The PL spectra of oxygen-annealed BFO thin films at room temperature show a strong emission in the blue region. A plot of (αE)2 vs. photon energy (E) (α-absorption coefficient) and the linear extrapolation to (αE)2=0 indicates a direct gap at 2.69±0.02 eV, which is in agreement with the previous reports. The results obtained in this study are accordingly expected to facilitate the understanding and optimization of BFO thin films for photovoltaic applications.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Fig. 1
Fig. 2
Fig. 3
Fig. 4
Fig. 5

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. S.R. Basu, L.W. Martin, Y.-H. Chu, M. Gajek, R. Ramesh, R.C. Rai, X. Xu, J.L. Musfeldt, Appl. Phys. Lett. 92, 091905 (2008)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  2. A.J. Hauser, J. Zhang, L. Mier, R.A. Ricciardo, P.M. Woodward, T.L. Gustafson, L.J. Brillson, F.Y. Yang, Appl. Phys. Lett. 92, 222901 (2008)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  3. T. Choi, S. Lee, Y.J. Choi, V. Kiryukhin, S.W. Cheong, Science 324, 63–66 (2009)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  4. W. Ji, K. Yao, Y.C. Liang, Adv. Mater. 22, 1763 (2010)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  5. H.T. Yi, T. Choi, S.G. Choi, Y.S. Oh, S.W. Cheong, Adv. Mater. 23, 3403–3407 (2011)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  6. S.Y. Yang, L.W. Martin, S.J. Byrnes, T.E. Conry, S.R. Basu, D. Paran, L. Reichertz, J. Ihlefeld, C. Adamo, A. Melville, Y.H. Chu, C.H. Yang, J.L. Musfeldt, D.G. Schlom, J.W. Ager, R. Ramesh, Appl. Phys. Lett. 95, 062909 (2009)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  7. K.Y. Yun, M. Noda, M. Okuyama, J. Korean Phys. Soc. 42, S1153–S1156 (2003)

    Google Scholar 

  8. A.Z. Simoes, C.S. Riccardi, M.L. Dos Santos, F. Gonzalez Garcia, E. Longo, J.A. Varela, Mater. Res. Bull. 44, 1747–1752 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  9. Y. Xu, M. Shen, Mater. Lett. 62, 3600–3602 (2008)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  10. T.P. Gujar, V.R. Shinde, C.D. Lokhande, Mater. Chem. Phys. 103, 142–146 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. X. Teng, H. Fan, S. Pan, C. Ye, G. Li, Mater. Lett. 61, 201–204 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. J. Zhang, M. Rutkowski, L.W. Martin, T. Conry, R. Ramesh, J.F. Ihlefeld, A. Melville, D.G. Schlom, L.J. Brillson, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. B 27, 2012–2014 (2009)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  13. Y.P. Wang, L. Zhou, M.F. Zhang, X.Y. Chen, J.M. Liu, Z.G. Liu, Appl. Phys. Lett. 84, 1731 (2004)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  14. Z. Dai, Y. Akishige, J. Phys. D, Appl. Phys. 43, 445403 (2010)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  15. B. Ramachandran, A. Dixit, R. Naik, G. Lawes, M.S. Ramachandra Rao, Phys. Rev. B, Condens. Matter Mater. Phys. 82, 012102 (2010)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  16. A. Kumar, R.C. Rai, N.J. Podraza, S. Denev, M. Ramirez, Y.-H. Chu, L.W. Martin, J. Ihlefeld, T. Heeg, J. Schubert, D.G. Schlom, J. Orenstein, R. Ramesh, R.W. Collins, J.L. Musfeldt, V. Gopalan, Appl. Phys. Lett. 92, 121915 (2008)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  17. J. Allibe, K. Bougot-Robin, E. Jacquet, I.C. Infante, S. Fusil, C. Carrétéro, J.L. Reverchon, B. Marcilhac, D. Creté, J.-C. Mage, A. Barthélémy, M. Bibes, Appl. Phys. Lett. 96, 182902 (2010)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  18. V. Fruth, E. Tenea, M. Gartner, M. Anastasescu, D. Berger, R. Ramer, M. Zaharescu, J. Eur. Ceram. Soc. 27, 937 (2007)

    Article  Google Scholar 

  19. S.J. Clark, J. Robertson, Appl. Phys. Lett. 90, 132903 (2007)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

  20. J.I. Pankove, Optical Processes in Semiconductors (Dover, New York, 1971)

    Google Scholar 

  21. K. Jiang, J.J. Zhu, J.D. Wu, J. Sun, Z.G. Hu, J.H. Chu, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 3, 4844 (2011). doi:10.1021/am201340d

    Article  Google Scholar 

  22. S. Ju, T.Y. Cai, Appl. Phys. Lett. 95, 231906 (2009)

    Article  ADS  Google Scholar 

Download references

Acknowledgements

The authors wish to acknowledge the support from CERC, Alberta Centre for Surface Engineering & Sciences (ACSES, UofA), Natural Sciences & Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and Canadian Institute for Photonic Innovations (CIPI).

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada

    K. Prashanthi & T. Thundat

  2. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of Alberta, Edmonton, AB, Canada

    M. Gupta & Y. Y. Tsui

Authors
  1. K. Prashanthi
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. M. Gupta
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. Y. Y. Tsui
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. T. Thundat
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to K. Prashanthi.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Prashanthi, K., Gupta, M., Tsui, Y.Y. et al. Effect of annealing atmosphere on microstructural and photoluminescence characteristics of multiferroic BiFeO3 thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition technique. Appl. Phys. A 110, 903–907 (2013). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-012-7194-x

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00339-012-7194-x

Keywords

Search

Navigation