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Enhanced Multiferroic Properties of Eu-Doped BiFeO3 Thin Films Derived from Rhombohedral–Tetragonal Phase Boundary

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Abstract

Eu-doped BiFeO3 multiferroic thin films were prepared using a sol–gel technique. The effect of Eu3+ ion substitutional doping on the multiferroic properties of BiFeO3 thin films was investigated in detail, revealing obvious enhancement of ferroelectricity and ferromagnetism. The enhanced multiferroic properties are attributed to phase boundary, where two phases with rhombohedral and tetragonal structure coexist. Both x-ray diffraction analysis and Raman spectroscopy confirmed that BiFeO3 thin films with 5% Eu doping (Bi0.95Eu0.05FeO3) undergo a phase transformation from a rhombohedral to tetragonal structure. Thus, it is suggested that there is rhombohedral– tetragonal phase boundary in Bi0.95Eu0.05FeO3 thin films. Additionally, the leakage current density of the thin films decreased under high electric field after Eu doping, which is attributed to a change of the leakage current conduction mechanism related to the formation of rhombohedral–tetragonal phase boundary. The present work provides an easy method to enhance the multiferroic properties of BiFeO3-based thin films.

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Acknowledgements

This work was financially supported by National Key Projects for Basic Research of China (973 Projects) (Grant No. 2012CB626815), the National Natural Science Foundation of China (Grant Nos. 11264026, 10904065), and Inner Mongolia Science Foundation for Distinguished Young Scholars (Grant No. 2014JQ01).

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    Authors and Affiliations

    1. School of Physical Science and Technology & Inner Mongolia Key Lab of Nanoscience and Nanotechnology, Inner Mongolia University, Hohhot, 010021, People’s Republic of China

      Wenyu Xing, Yinina Ma, Jieyu Chen & Shifeng Zhao

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    1. Wenyu Xing
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    2. Yinina Ma
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    3. Jieyu Chen
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    4. Shifeng Zhao
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    Correspondence to Shifeng Zhao.

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    Wenyu Xing and Yinina Ma contributed equally to this work.

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    Xing, W., Ma, Y., Chen, J. et al. Enhanced Multiferroic Properties of Eu-Doped BiFeO3 Thin Films Derived from Rhombohedral–Tetragonal Phase Boundary. J. Electron. Mater. 44, 3752–3760 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s11664-015-3844-z

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