Related Experiment Video
Updated: May 15, 2025
Comprehensive Characterization of Extended Defects in Semiconductor Materials by a Scanning Electron Microscope
Published on: May 28, 2016
Bandgap of Epitaxial Single-Crystal BiFe1-xMnxO3 Films Grown Directly on SrTiO3/Si(001)
Samuel R Cantrell1, John T Miracle1, Ryan J Cottier2
1Materials Science Engineering and Commercialization Program, Texas State University, San Marcos, TX 78666, USA.
Abstract:
We report the growth and optical characterization of single-crystal BiFe1-xMnxO3 thin films directly on SrTiO3/Si(001) substrates using molecular beam epitaxy. X-ray diffraction confirmed epitaxial growth, film crystallinity, and sharp interface quality. Scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy verified uniform film morphology and successful Mn incorporation. Spectroscopic ellipsometry revealed a systematic bandgap reduction with increasing Mn concentration, from 2.7 eV in BiFeO3 to 2.58 eV in BiFe0.74Mn0.26O3, consistent with previous reports on Mn-doped BiFeO3. These findings highlight the potential of BiFe1₋xMnxO3 films for bandgap engineering, advancing their integration into silicon-compatible multifunctional optoelectronic and photovoltaic applications.
Related Concept Videos
02:18X-ray Crystallography
Diffraction
Diffraction is the change in the direction of travel experienced by an electromagnetic wave when it encounters a physical barrier whose dimensions are comparable to those of the wavelength of the light. X-rays are electromagnetic radiation with wavelengths about as long as the distance between neighboring...
02:58Crystal Field Theory - Octahedral Complexes
To explain the observed behavior of transition metal complexes (such as colors), a model involving electrostatic interactions between the electrons from the ligands and the electrons in the unhybridized d orbitals of the central metal atom has been developed. This electrostatic model is crystal field theory (CFT). It helps to understand, interpret, and predict the colors, magnetic behavior, and some structures of coordination compounds of transition metals.
CFT focuses on...