Rare earth element-doped Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3–BaTiO3 (BNT–BT–RE) polycrystalline thin films were processed on a platinized substrate by chemical solution deposition. The microstructure, dielectric, and ferroelectric properties were investigated for all prepared films. It was found that the incorporation of rare earth elements into the BNT–BT matrix increases both the dielectric constant and the breakdown strength while maintaining low dielectric losses, leading to an enhancement of the energy storage density to Wrec = 12 and 16 J/cm3 under an effective field of E = 2500 kV/cm, for Nd- and Dy-based films, respectively. The optical properties of films containing the lanthanide element were investigated and the obtained results bear interest for luminescence applications. The simultaneous appearance of ferroelectric and optical properties in the system under investigation is very promising for advanced optoelectronic devices.
Bismuth sodium titanate (BNT) thin films were deposited on Pt/SiN substrates by Sol-Gel spin coating technique and annealed under O2 atmosphere. The microstructural, structural, and electrical properties of the obtained film were investigated. Electron microscopy scans and atomic force microscopy micrographs were used to analyze the microstructure of the films. Furthermore, energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDX) analysis revealed a Na-deficient composition for the obtained film. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy allowed the identification of a pure perovskite BNT phase. Dielectric, ferroelectric, and leakage current measurements revealed good frequency stability of the dielectric constant and dielectric losses for BNT thin film. The results are discussed in terms of Na deficiency effects on the defect structure of BNT. Further, the film showed attractive electrostatic energy storage properties with energy density that exceeds 1.04 J/cm3 under E = 630 kV/cm.
NiV2O6 thin films were grown on glass slides with varying thicknesses using nebulizer spray pyrolysis. The impact of thickness on the thin films’ optical, structural, morphological, and electrical characteristics was systematically investigated. X-ray diffraction and micro-Raman analysis confirmed the formation of the triclinic NiV2O6 system. Surface morphology and roughness variations in the as-deposited NiV2O6 films were studied using scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and a profilometer. Optical properties, including optical band gap (Eg), extinction coefficient (k), absorption coefficient (α), and refractive index (n), were determined through optical reflectance and transmittance measurements. The optical energy gap of the as-deposited NiV2O6 films decreased from 2.02 eV to 1.58 eV with increased layer thickness. Furthermore, the photo-detectivity of the films demonstrated an enhancement corresponding to the prolonged spray time. The sensitivity values obtained for visible irradiation were 328, 511, and 433 for samples S1, S2, and S3, respectively. The obtained results can be imputed to the specific porous microstructure.
Bi0.5Na0.5TiO3-0.06BaTiO3 (BNT-BT) thin films were prepared via both chemical solution (CSD) and pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The structural, dielectric, and ferroelectric properties were investigated. High stability of the dielectric permittivity or TCC (∆ε/ε (150 °C) ≤ ±15%) over a wide temperature range from room temperature to 300 °C was obtained. Distinctly, the CSD film showed high TCC stability with variation of ±5% up to 250 °C. Furthermore, the CSD film showed an unsaturated ferroelectric hysteresis loop characteristic of the ergodic relaxor phase. However, the PLD one exhibited an almost saturated loop characteristic of the coexistence of both ergodic and non-ergodic states. The energy storage properties of the prepared films were determined using P–E loops obtained at different temperatures. The results show that these films exhibited a stable and improved energy storage density comparable to ceramic capacitors. Moreover, the CSD film exhibited more rigidity and better energy storage density, which exceeded 1.3 J/cm3 under a weak applied field of 317 kV/cm, as well as interesting efficiency in a large temperature range. The obtained results are very promising for energy storage capacitors operating at high temperatures.
Bismuth sodium titanate thin films (BNT) were deposited on Pt/SiN substrates by Sol-Gel spin coating technique under O2 atmosphere. Microstructural, structural, and electrical properties of the obtained film were investigated. Scanning electron microscopy and atomic force microscopy micrographs were used to analyze the microstructure of the films. Furthermore, EDX analysis revealed a Na-deficient composition for the obtained film. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy allowed the identification of a pure perovskite BNT phase. Dielectric, ferroelectric, and leakage current measurements revealed good frequency stability of the dielectric constant and dielectric losses for BNT thin film. The results are discussed in terms of Na-deficiency effects on the defect structure of BNT. Further, the film showed attractive electrostatic energy storage properties with energy density that exceeds 1.04 J/cm3 under E = 630 kV/cm.