Effect of annealing time in the low-temperature growth of BFO thin films spin coated on glass substrates

Thin films of Bismuth ferric oxide (BiFeO 3 ) synthesised through sol–gel technique were grown on glass substrates by spin coating method. The X-ray diffraction results indicated that the annealing dwell times play a vital role in the formation of single-phased BiFeO 3 (BFO). Crystallite sizes of BFO were found to be in the range of 30–35 nm, as calculated from the X-ray broadening line width data. FT-IR spectra showed well defined bands along with a metal–oxygen bond, indicating short range order in the system. Although crystallization was not affected in the perovskite BFO phase, the surface morphology (including the RMS roughness value) of the thin films was found to be influenced by the heat treatment conditions. The influence of processing parameters on the microstructure and optical properties were studied. The magnetic measurement studies at room temperature reveal an antiferromagnetic behaviour for the grown thin films.