Modulating light absorption and multiferroic properties of BiFeO₃-based ferroelectric films by the introduction of ZnO layer

Abstract Pure bismuth ferrite (BiFeO 3 , BFO) and ZnO thin films, as well BFO/ZnO ZnO/BFO composite films were successfully deposited by a sol-gel process on Pt/Ti/SiO 2 /Si FTO/glass substrates, respectively. The chemical composition, surface morphology, optical properties, multiferroicity systematically investigated. X-ray diffraction electron microscopy measurements used to determine the crystalline phase analyze morphology. Evidently, absorption edges of both show redshift, broadening range. leakage current density decreases with introduction ZnO, ferroelectricity was significantly improved bilayers. Thereinto, highest saturate polarization (2 P s ) 46.7 μ c cm −2 maximum remanent r 18.5 Meanwhile, magnetization measurement revealed that exhibiting an enhanced magnetization, especially, displays saturation M 68.87 emu −3 4.87 ).