Preparation of BiFeO3 films by wet chemical method and their characterization

Multiferoic materials (having coupled electric, magnetic and structural order parameters that result in simultaneous ferroelectricity, ferromagnetism, and ferroelasticity) present opportunities for potential application in information storage, the emerging field of spinotronics and sensors. The perovskite BiFeO3 is ferroelectric [Curie temperature (T-c) similar to 1103 K] and antiferromagnetic [Neel temperature (T-N) similar to 643 K], exhibiting weak magnetism at room temperature. Conditions for synthesizing single BiFeO3 phase are critical since the temperature stability range of the phase is very narrow. Moreover, it is also difficult to control oxygen stoichiometry in the sample. In this work the preparation of BiFeO3 thin films by a specific wet chemical route is discussed. Respective influence of the precursors, thermal annealing condition, the substrate and, generally speaking, the preparation process of the films is presented. Results obtained by X-ray diffraction and spectroscopic elipsometer (SE) was used to characterize the obtained films. (c) 2006 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.