The structural and electrical properties of GDC10 thin films formed by e-beam technique

Gadolinium doped cerium (GDC10) thin film ceramics were prepared by evaporating Gd0.1Ce0.9O1.95 powder, using an e-beam evaporation technique. The initial powder of GDC10, with different surface areas (BET: 6.44, 36.2, 201m2/g), were used to prepare thin ceramic films. The GDC10 thin ceramic films (thickness~1.4μm) were formed on optical quartz substrate (substrate geometry 2.5×2.5cm). The formed GDC10 thin ceramic films structural properties were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The electrical properties of the samples were investigated with an AC impedance spectroscopy in the temperature range 473–873K and frequency range 10−1–106Hz. The formed GDC10 thin films repeat the crystallographic orientation of evaporated powder and do not depend on the initial powder grain size and deposition rate. It was determined that crystallite size has an influence on conductivity and diffusion coefficient. The ionic conductivity and activation energy depends on crystallite size. The best ionic conductivity and the lowest activation energy are 9.00·10−1S/m and 1.13eV, respectively. The activation energy varies from 1.19 to 1.29eV, and depends on crystallite size, too. •Formed GDC10 thin films repeat crystallographic orientation of evaporated powder.•Crystallite size and texture coefficient of thin films depends on powders BET and deposition rate.•Ionic conductivity and activation energy decreases decreasing crystallite size.•Ionic conductivity and relaxation frequency depends on evaporated initials powders BET.•Charge carrier concentration depends on the deposition rate and evaporated powders BET.