Pr-doped BiFeO 3 thin films growth on quartz using chemical solution deposition

Bismuth ferrite (BiFeO 3 ) is an interesting multiferroic material due to its ferroelectric properties at room temperature. In this study, Bi 1− x Pr x FeO 3 and BiFeO 3 films were grown on quartz substrates by the chemical solution deposition method at 600 o C of annealing temperature. Variation in molar concentration in Bi 1− x Pr x FeO 3 was set ( x = 0.03, 0.05, 0.1, and 0.2) to investigate their crystal structure and optical characteristics. BiFeO 3 and Bi 1− x Pr x FeO 3 films were examined using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and ultraviolet (UV)-vis spectrophotometer. The XRD results demonstrated that the addition of Pr in BiFeO 3 shifted the diffraction angle to smaller angles so that it reduced their lattice constant. Besides, the crystal size declined with more Pr numbers, while the lattice strain expanded. The UV-vis characteristics of the films were measured in the wavelength range of 200–800 nm. The transmittance values of the Pr-doped BiFeO 3 increased. Because of Pr doping, the refractive index of the Bi 1− x Pr x FeO 3 films decreased while the energy dispersion increased.