Multiferroic response in bismuth ferrite doped heterostructures: A buffer layer inference

[Display omitted] •Doped-BiFeO3 heterostructures were deposited by RF sputtering over an FTO substrate.•A ferroelectric buffer layer produces an enhancement of ferroelectric properties.•A ferromagnetic buffer layer enhances the ferromagnetic properties.•XRD demonstrates that doped-buffer layer induces structural distortions. Multiferroic heterostructures of doped-BiFeO3 were prepare by RF magnetron sputtering over FTO substrates. Barium-nickel co-doped BiFeO3 (Bi0.75Ba0.25Fe0.975Ni0.025O3) and Praseodymium-Manganese co-doped BiFeO3 (Bi0.85Pr0.15Fe0.97Mn0.03O3) were used as a source for ferroelectric (FE) and ferromagnetic (FM) layers in a two-layer heterostructure architecture. The arrangement of FE and FM layers were switch in order to study the effect of the previous layer consider as a buffer layer on the overall multiferroic properties of the system. X-ray diffraction in two different geometries (BBXRD and GIXRD) were implemented to study the structural effect of the heterostructures demonstrating two different tetragonal-type structures. Scanning electron microscopy showed two different morphologies and thicknesses. Magnetic hysteresis loops were obtained from both samples obtaining a major magnetization on the sample where the FE layer was on top and switching spectroscopy piezoresponse force microscopy (SSPFM) showed an improved on the ferroelectric properties for the sample where the FM layer was on top, attributing the enhancing of the multiferroic properties to the buffer layer used on top of the substrate.