Effect of bismuth on the electrical properties of Pb0.8Sn0.2Te thin films

D.C. conductivity and Hall coefficient studies were made on bismuth doped Pb_0.8Sn_0.2Te thin films in the temperature range 77–300 K. Hall coefficient and Hall mobility are found to decrease with the increase in doping density of bismuth. Films doped with even 0.3 at.% Bi changed fromp-type ton-type due to the donor action of bismuth in these films. Analysis of mobility-temperature data revealed that the lattice and defect scattering mechanisms are predominant in these films. Defect limited mobility is calculated for all the films and it is found to decrease with increase in doping concentration of bismuth suggesting the increase in defect density.     

Photoinduced drift of electrons in thin magnetic films

The results are presented of experimental studies of variations in the polarization of light reflected from multilayer thin metal films containing nonmagnetic Bi or Ti films and a TbFe magnetic film magnetized in the direction perpendicular to the film plane. An additional optical rotation of light reflected from bismuth and titanium films was observed upon their irradiation by intense nanosecond pulses from a semiconductor laser. This optical rotation is attributed to the photoinduced drift of electrons with polarized spins from the magnetic TbFe film.     

Preparation of Bi:TiO2 thin films by an hybrid deposition configuration: pulsed laser deposition and thermal evaporation

The aim of this work was to report the application of an hybrid deposition configuration to deposit Titanium dioxide (TiO₂) thin films modified with different amounts of bismuth (Bi:TiO₂). The samples were synthesized combining a TiO₂ laser ablation plasma with a flux of vapor of bismuth produced by thermal evaporation. By varying the deposition rate of Bi it was possible to control the amount of Bi incorporated in the film and consequently the film properties. A detailed compositional, structural, and optical characterization by XPS, RBS, Raman spectroscopy, and UV–Vis spectrometry techniques is discussed. Photocatalytic response of the deposited thin films was studied through the degradation of a malachite green solution.     

Photon pressure and its effect on the magnetic properties of multilayer films

The effect of nanosecond laser pulses on the optical and magnetic properties of Bi-SiC-TbFe-SiC, SiC-TbFe-SiC, SiC-Tb-Au-Fe-SiC, and phthalocyanine dye-bismuth-phthalocyanine dye multilayer nanofilms is experimentally studied. The photon pressure of a laser beam is shown to cause electrons to drift in the direction of beam propagation. As a result of the injection of spin-polarized electrons from the magnetic layer, a nonequilibrium magnetization arises in the nonmagnetic Bi or Au layer, which changes the magnetooptic properties of the films. In three-layer dye-bismuth-dye films, the photon pressure of the laser radiation induces a space electron charge in the exit dye layer, which causes a drift of ionized bismuth atoms.     

Enhancement of photosensitivity in bismuth doped Cu2ZnSnS4 thin films

In this paper, the effect of bismuth doping on the structural, morphological, optical and electrical properties of Cu₂ZnSnS₄ (CZTS) films has been investigated. The undoped and bismuth doped CZTS films (0, 0.5, 1, 1.5 and 2 mol%) were deposited on glass substrates by solution based method. The XRD result shows a significant improvement in the crystallinity of the films with increase in bismuth concentration. The Raman spectra of the films show the dominant peak at 334 cm^–1 corresponding to A₁ vibrational mode of CZTS kesterite phase. The FESEM micrographs of the films show an enhancement in the grain size and densification with the addition of bismuth ion concentration. The optical bandgap of the films was found to vary (1.59–1.40 eV) with the doping of bismuth ions. The I –V characteristics indicate twofold increment in the photoconductivity for the bismuth doped CZTS films under 100 mW/cm² illumination suggesting their potential application in photovoltaic devices. (© 2016 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH &Co. KGaA, Weinheim)     

Structure and electrical transport properties of bismuth thin films prepared by RF magnetron sputtering

Bismuth thin films were prepared on glass substrates with RF magnetron sputtering and the effects of deposition temperature on surface morphology and their electrical transport properties were investigated. Grain growth of bismuth and the coalescence of grains were observed above 393 K with field emission secondary electron microscopy. Continuous thin films could not be obtained above 448 K because of the segregation of grains. Hall effect measurements showed that substrate heating yields the decrease of carrier density and the increase of mobility in exponential ways until 403 K. Resistivity of sputter deposited bismuth films has its minimum (about 0.7 × 10⁻³ Ω cm) in range of 403-433 K. Annealing of bismuth films deposited at room temperature was carried out in a radiation furnace with flowing hydrogen gas. The change of resistivity was not significant due to the cancellation of the decrease of carrier density and the increase of mobility. However, the abrupt change of electrical properties of film annealed above 523 K was observed, which is caused by the oxidation of bismuth layer.     

Pulsed laser deposition of metals at target temperatures close to the melting point

Tin and bismuth metals are irradiated by KrF excimer laser pulses of fluences around 5 J/cm². Supressing the formation of surface inhomogeneities on the target is achieved by increasing the target temperature to close to its melting point. The characteristics of surface structures developed on targets ablated at room temperature and heated to approximately 40 °C below the melting point of the respective metal, are presented. Optical microscopy is used to follow the changes in the surface morphology of the deposited films, and especially in the surface number density of particulates. Approaching the melting point of the tin target resulted in a threefold decrease in surface number density of particulates, while for bismuth only a slight decrease was obtained. In the latter case, the anisotropic growth properties of bismuth precluded the effective smoothing of certain domains on the target surface, even at temperatures close to its melting point.     

Optical properties and adhesion of air oxidized vacuum evaporated bismuth thin films

Highly adhesive bismuth oxide thin films on glass have been prepared by air oxidation of vacuum evaporated bismuth thin films at various temperatures. The transmittance, optical band gap, refractive index and adhesion show temperature and oxidation time effects. The films show a direct band gap between 2 and 2.5 eV. The refractive indices are in the range 1.854-1.991. The transmittances of the bismuth oxide films are quite high in a large wavelength range. These bismuth oxide films can have potential use in optical waveguides.     

Influence of target morphology on droplet emission and thickness profiles with pulsed laser deposited bismuth films

The influence of target morphology on the density of droplets and on thickness profiles was studied on thin bismuth films prepared by pulsed laser deposition. Films were deposited at room temperature on glass substrates from a Nd:YAG laser working at a wavelength of 532 nm. Two parameters were taken into account: the target diameter and the method of scanning the laser beam on the target. Three different laser beam scans have been simulated and tested afterwards. The quality of the films, as determined by scanning electron microscopy, can be improved by working with large targets and with appropriate scanning of the laser beam.     

Dielectric and relaxation properties of thermally evaporated nanostructured bismuth sulfide thin films

Nanostructured bismuth sulfide thin films were prepared onto glass substrates with particle size of 21 nm by thermal evaporation using readily prepared bismuth sulfide nanocrystallite powder. The X-ray diffraction pattern revealed that bismuth sulfide thin films exhibit orthorhombic structure. The existence of quantum confinement effect was confirmed from the observed band gap energy of 1.86 eV. AC and DC electrical conductivity of Al/BiSnc/Al structures was investigated in the frequency range 0.5-100 kHz at different temperatures (303-463 K) under vacuum. The AC conductivity (σ_ac) is found to be proportional to angular frequency (ω^s). The obtained experimental result of the AC conductivity showed that the correlated barrier hopping model is the appropriate mechanism for the electron transport in the nanostructured bismuth sulfide thin films. DC conduction mechanism in these films was studied and possible conduction mechanism in the bismuth sulfide thin films was discussed.     

About the Importance of Nanometer-Thick Intergranular Penetration in the Analysis of Liquid Metal Embrittlement

Liquid metal embrittlement (LME) of copper by liquid bismuth is investigated at 300°C. It is shown that a very rapid damage is due to the synergy between the external stress and the phenomenon of intergranular penetration (IGP). Tests of IGP, i.e. without external stress, were done at 300°C and at 600°C and have resulted in strong intergranular embrittlement due to the formation of nanometer-thick intergranular films, as measured and quantified by Auger electron spectroscopy (AES). The formation of these films is discussed with respect to apparently non-zero dihedral angles at 600°C. A general procedure based on mechanical testing and AES measurements, to check whether IGP has occurred or not, is outlined. This procedure can be seen as an alternative way to determine the wetting transition temperature. The presence of nanometer-thick films due to IGP is discussed with respect to the LME mechanisms.     

Change in optical path length of saturable absorbing dye-doped polymer films under laser irradiation

The cause of the change in the optical path lengthΔ(nd) of the saturable absorbing dye-doped polymer films under laser irradiation is investigated using polyvinyl alcohol and gelatin films doped with erythrosin B. The temperature rise of the dye-doped films, the changes in optical path length, film thickness, the refractive index and the optical density of the dye-doped films are measured under laser irradiation. The thermal expansion due to the temperature rise of the dye-doped films caused by the irradiation has greater effect on theΔ(nd) than the fading of dye molecules due to the irradiation of laser beams.     

Oxidation temperature dependent optical properties of bismuth oxide thin films: Effect of vapour chopping and air exposure

The optical properties of vapour chopped and nonchopped bismuth oxide thin films of two thicknesses 1500 Å and 2000 Å have been studied. The films were prepared by thermal oxidation in air; of vacuum evaporated vapour chopped and nonchopped bismuth thin films. As revealed by XRD studies, multiphase and polycrystalline bismuth oxide thin films were obtained. The refractive index was found to increase with the thickness and exposure to air for 40 days. The vapour chopped films showed higher refractive index, band gap and lower grain size than those of nonchopped films. The films showed high transmittance in the visible spectrum. The ageing effect on the vapour chopped films was found low.     

A novel fabrication method for stoichiometric strontium bismuth tantalate thin films for memory devices

A novel method of processing ferroelectric thin films to eliminate excess bismuth is reported. Rapid thermal annealing initiates the crystallization of bismuth layer- structured ferroelectric thin films. Subsequent crystallization annealing for longer periods improves the crystallinity of the thin films. During annealing bismuth is known to diffuse to the surface and into the electrode, which is deleterious to the device performance. Forming-gas annealing after the rapid thermal annealing (prior to the crystallization annealing) reduces the bismuth diffusion into the electrode significantly. The suppression of bismuth diffusion into the electrode and the elimination of excess bismuth in the films improves and stabilizes the electrical properties of the capacitors, in particular their electronic conduction.     

Photoinduced darkening, crystallization and reversible emission in ZnTe thin films

Laser-induced darkening and crystallization of ZnTe-based thin films is reported. ZnTe thin films of 1500-nm thickness were deposited on bare and Zn buffer layered borosilicate glass substrates. The as-deposited films were subjected to laser irradiation at 532 nm. The as-deposited films were amorphous but transformed to the crystalline state under influence of the laser treatment. The X-ray diffraction patterns revealed that the ZnTe crystallized in the zinc blende structure. In addition, presence of peaks from Te was observed, signifying the dissociation of ZnTe. The spectral transmission of the films decreased by more than 15 % under the influence of the laser irradiation and this was accompanied by a red shift in the band gap. These results clearly point to the occurrence of laser-induced darkening and crystallization of the films. To understand the mechanisms of darkening and crystallization, all the films were annealed at 500 °C for 60 min. Similar to the laser-irradiated samples, the thermally annealed films showed an amorphous–crystalline transition, presence of Te in the X-ray diffraction patterns as well as a large decrease in spectral transmission (>70 %). Photoinduced emission analysis carried out as a function of laser intensities indicated a strong red shift of about 51 meV in emission energy with increase in laser intensity due to the photodarkening. The peak position of the emission spectrum can be tuned by increasing the laser intensity and is completely reversible with decrease in laser intensity. It is proposed that laser-induced darkening occurs due to the dissociation of ZnTe into ZnTe and Te and that crystallization is a consequence of laser annealing.     

Characterisation of thin films of bismuth oxide by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy

The XPS (or ESCA) technique has been used for the characterisation of vacuum-deposited thin films of bismuth oxide. The spectra of Bi metal and Bi₂O₃ powder are used for comparison. The characterisation is carried out by consideration of the positions of the Bi 4f_{$\text{7}\text{2}$} and 4f_{$\text{5}\text{2}$} peaks and by using peak-fitting routines. A lower suboxide of bismuth, and metallic bismuth are observed in bismuth oxide films as evaporated. Oxidation of these films by heating in air results in bismuth(III) oxide. A linear relation is found between the binding energies and oxidation state. The corresponding O 1s spectra for the two types of film are also discussed.     

Pulsed laser deposition of perovskite relaxor ferroelectric thin films

Structural, dielectric and ferroelectric properties of thin films of La-doped lead zirconate titanate (PLZT) and sodium bismuth titanate-barium titanate (NBT-BT) perovskite relaxor ferroelectric have been investigated. PLZT films were deposited on Pt/Si substrates in oxygen atmosphere by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and radio frequency (RF) discharge-assisted PLD, using sintered targets with different La content and Zr/Ti ratio, near or at the boundary relaxor ferroelectric. The films are polycrystalline with perovskite cubic or slightly rhombohedral structure. A slim ferroelectric hysteresis loop, typical for relaxors, has been measured for all film sets. Dielectric characterization shows a large value of capacitance tunability and low dielectric loss. However, common problems related to lead diffusion into the metallic electrode layer do not allow one to obtain high capacitance values, due to the formation of an interface layer with low dielectric constant. Lead-free NBT-BT thin films have been deposited on single crystal (1 0 0)-MgO substrates starting from targets with composition at the morphotropic phase boundary between rhombohedral and tetragonal phase. Films deposited by PLD are polycrystalline perovskite with a slight (1 0 0) orientation. Capacitance measurements were performed using interdigital metallic electrodes deposited on the film's top surface and showed high relative dielectric constant, on the order of 1300.     

Enhancement of weak anti-localization signatures in the magneto-resistance of bismuth anti-dot thin films

Anti-dot array thin films of bismuth were prepared by the e-beam deposition of this semi-metal on nano-porous substrates. The magneto-resistance measurements of bismuth thin films deposited under identical conditions on various substrates displayed signatures from both classical magneto-resistance and weak anti-localization effects. The relative intensity of the two effects could be altered by the choice of the substrate, with the anti-dot array morphology suppressing the classical magneto-resistance, and enhancing the weak anti-localization contribution to the measured magneto-resistance. As a result, the weak anti-localization effect can be traced to higher magnetic field strengths and higher temperatures than is possible in non-patterned films, improving the accuracy of the parameters extracted from the data. PACS 73.20.Fz; 73.23-b; 73.61.At     

Topological Insulator State in Thin Bismuth Films Subjected to Plane Tensile Strain

The results of experimental examination of galvanomagnetic properties of thin bismuth films subjected to plane tensile strain resulting from the difference in thermal expansion coefficients of the substrate material and bismuth are presented. The resistivity, the magnetoresistance, and the Hall coefficient were studied at temperatures ranging from 5 to 300 K in magnetic fields as strong as 0.65 T. Carrier densities were calculated. A considerable increase in carrier density in films thinner than 30 nm was observed. This suggests that surface states are more prominent in thin bismuth films on mica substrates, while the films themselves may exhibit the properties of a topological insulator.