Structural and optical characterization of Bi4Ti3O12 thin films prepared by metallorganic solution deposition technique

Single phase and nanosized microstructure Bi4Ti3O12 thin films were prepare d on fused quartz substrate by metallorganic solution deposition technique using titanium butoxide and bismuth nitrate at relatively low annealing tem perature. The structural properties were characterized by XRD and AFM, whic h revealed that the crystallite sizes and crystallite cluster sizes of Bi4T i3O12 were increased with the increase of the annealing temperature and abo ut 8.65-18.3 nm by XRD study and 60-110 nm by AFM study, respectively. The refractive index and extinction coefficient of the films were calculated by Manifacier method from the spectral transmission measurement. They were in creased with the increase of the annealing temperature and decreased with t he increase of wavelength. The band gaps of the films were about 2.96, 2.88 and 2.80 eV for 350, 550 and 650 degrees C annealing temperatures, respect ively. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.