Abstract
BiFeO3single-phase thin films with an effective and tuneable multiferroic response are obtained in aqueous media by using mild processing conditions.
Highlights
The metastability of single-phase BiFeO3 is one of the most investigated issues within this promising material since it represents a serious obstacle to exploit its multiferroic possibilities.[1,2,3] The different diffusion processes involved in the obtaining of an pure material with a practical response are ruled by a temperature-dependent kinetic mechanism
An average thickness of ca. 250 nm is measured for all the consolidated films, Fig. 1a, d and e; this value is directly estimated from the Field emission scanning electron microscopy (FESEM) micrographs using an Image Analyzer (Leica), after collecting up to twenty measurements per sample on different areas of the film
The intrinsic metastability of the BiFeO3 perovskite largely hinders it being obtained as a single-phase material and yet prevents its practical exploitation in multiferroic-based applications
Summary
The metastability of single-phase BiFeO3 is one of the most investigated issues within this promising material since it represents a serious obstacle to exploit its multiferroic possibilities.[1,2,3] The different diffusion processes involved in the obtaining of an (almost) pure material with a practical response are ruled by a temperature-dependent kinetic mechanism. Several solid-state diffusion processes are successively activated, which provoke first the incorporation of titanium into the perovskite lattice during the synthesis episode, and its posterior segregation to the grain boundaries during the subsequent recrystallization stage of sintering In this way titanium delineates the microstructure of the bulk specimen, generating an interconnected skeleton of highly-resistive Ti-rich grain boundaries that controls the macroscopic conductivity of the material and allows for improved exploitation of its ferroelectric characteristics.[4] This, combined with the structure-related effect that the rare-earth produces on both the electric and the magnetic properties of the parent compound,[5,6,7,8,9] eventually leads to a promising multiferroic
Sign-in/Register to view highlights & summary Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callDisclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
