Artical Functionalization of structural and electronic properties of multiferroic SrTiO3 thin films

TL;DR

This paper investigates how doping SrTiO3 thin films with transition metals like Ni, Y, and Fe alters their structural and electronic properties, aiming to enhance their suitability for photovoltaic and photocatalytic applications.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive experimental analysis of transition metal doping effects on SrTiO3's properties, focusing on Ni's influence, using multiple characterization techniques.

Findings

Nickel doping modifies the electronic band structure.

Transition metal dopants affect crystallite size and internal stress.

Doping shifts the optical spectrum toward visible light.

Abstract

This study examines the application of transition metal-doped SrTiO3 in photovoltaic technologies, such as photocatalysis. The core objective is to evaluate how different dopants influence the structural and electronic characteristics of the well-known perovskite, SrTiO3 (STO). By incorporating dopants, particularly transition metals, the material's physical properties can be enhanced by addressing limitations such as the large gap in the valence band. This study aims to determine the impact of these metals on factors like crystallite size, internal stress levels, electron-hole pair distribution in the valence band, and the shift in the electromagnetic spectrum toward the visible range. The primary focus is on assessing nickel's (Ni) influence on these properties, with additional investigation into the effects of yttrium (Y) and iron (Fe). Several experimental methods were employed to analyze the structural and electronic properties of SrTiO3. The same procedures were applied consistently across all samples, with the sole exception being the high-temperature XRD experiments, as described in the text. The techniques used include magnetron pulse deposition for sample preparation, followed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). After conducting the experiments, the collected data were evaluated and used to guide subsequent steps. Finally, all data were consolidated and analyzed comprehensively.