Degradation of ferroelectric and weak ferromagnetic properties of BiFeO3 films due to the diffusion of silicon atoms

Crystalline BiFeO3 (BFO) films each with a crystal structure of a distorted rhombohedral perovskite are characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution electron microscopy (HRTEM). The diffusion of silicon atoms from the substrate into the BiFeO3 film is detected by Rutherford backscattering spectrometry (RBS). The element analysis is performed by energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (EDS). Simulation results of RBS spectrum show a visualized distribution of silicon. X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) indicates that a portion of silica is formed in the diffusion process of silicon atoms. Ferroelectric and weak ferromagnetic properties of the BFO films are degraded due to the diffusion of silicon atoms. The saturation magnetization decreases from 6.11 down to 0.75 emu/g, and the leakage current density increases from 3.8 × 10−4 up to 7.1 × 10−4 A/cm−2.