Title : Thriving narrow band gap ferroelectric oxides for photovoltaic applications
Abstract:
The formation of a ferroelectric Bi2ZnTiO6 (BZT) perovskite-like phase in the thin film form is demonstrated to be viable onto Pt/Si-based substrates at 550 ºC using the rf-sputtering method. This “lead-free” BZT polycrystalline phase has a noncentrosymmetric P4mm tetragonal structure, exhibiting a noteworthy piezoelectric response and an optical gap of 1.48 eV in agreement with the theoretical calculations. Further research and development of BZT thin films can be regarded as a thriving material for innovative generation of optoelectronic and photovoltaic devices where the intrinsic polarization field can replace the function of p-n junctions in semiconductors.
