Effects of Mn doping on ferroelectric, ferromagnetic and optical properties of BiFeO3 thin films

Abstract Mn-doped BiFeO3 films were prepared by chemical solution deposition method on fluorine doped tin oxide conductive glass via spin-coating technique. XRD pattern reveals the presence of the impurity phase of Bi2Fe4O9 in BiFeO3 films, while no impurity phase is found in the Mn-doped thin films. XPS spectrum demonstrates the purity of prepared thin films by exhibiting the desired elements alone and it also shows that Mn-doping restrains the change of Fe3+ valency. The leakage current result shows that Mn-doping causes the change of conduction mechanism led by the change of microstructure and the restraint of Fe ions valence. BiFe0.95Mn0.05O3 thin film has a good ferroelectric performance with high remnant polarization (Pr) value of 27 μC/cm2. Mn doped BiFeO3 films have stronger saturation magnetization than the BiFeO3 thin films. UV vis NIR transmittance spectra depicts the optical property, which shows the optical band gap decreases with the concentration of Mn increases.