Microstructure, Optical, and Electrical Properties of Barium Titanate (BaTiO₃) and Ba_1−xNd_xTiO₃ Thin Films Deposited by Chemical Solution Deposition (CSD) Method

Abstract

Barium titanate (BaTiO₃) and Ba_1−xNd_xTiO₃ thin films used by chemical solution deposition method and prepared with spin-coating technique. The thin films of BaTiO₃ and Ba_1−xNd_xTiO₃ were grown on a quartz and silicon (Si) substrate. The research aim is to get the best of mole variation of Nd doping to ferroelectric material properties. Doping Nd was varied at 5, 10% in BaTiO₃. The thin films were annealed at 850 °C with one hour holding time. The crystal structure, optical and electrical properties of BaTiO₃ and Ba_1−xNd_xTiO₃ have been investigated. The microstructure of BaTiO₃ and Ba_1−xNd_xTiO₃ were analyzed using XRD equipment, which showed that BaTiO₃ and Ba_1−xNd_xTiO₃ crystal had a perovskite shape. The addition mole dopant (x) neodymium (Nd³⁺), the diffraction angle of the XRD results were seen shifting to the right. As the mole dopant (x) Nd increased, so crystallinity from the Ba_1−xNd_xTiO₃ thin films decreased. The crystallite size of BaTiO₃, Ba_0.95Nd_0.05TiO₃, and Ba_0.9Nd_0.1TiO₃ were 70; 21; 28 nm. The addition mole dopant (x) Nd³⁺ resulted in smaller grain sizes but it did not significantly affect thickness. The greater the addition mole dopant (x) Nd, the smaller the band-gap produced. The results of the IV characterization showed that the Ba_1−xNd_xTiO₃ thin films had a response to light and photovoltaic effects.