The Effects of Mn Substitution and Oxidation States of Mn in BiFeO₃Thin Films

Abstract

Multiferroic Bi(Fe 0.9 Mn x 0.1 )O 3 (x = 2+, 3+, and 4+) thin films were prepared on Pt(111)/Ti/SiO 2 /Si(100) substrates by using a pulsed laser deposition method. The effects of different oxidation states of Mn used as a starting material on crystal structure, leakage current, dielectric, and ferroelectric properties were investigated. No significant change in the crystal structure was observed while electrical properties were affected by the oxidation states of Mn. A frequency-dependent dielectric relaxation region was observed in the films with Mn 3+ and Mn 2+ , indicating the presence of space charges such as oxygen vacancies.