Tu, Chi-ShunChen, Pin-YiChen, Cheng-SaoLin, Chun-YenSchmidt, V. Hugo2018-09-102018-09-102018-11Tu, Chi-Shun, Pin-Yi Chen, Cheng-Sao Chen, Chun-Yen Lin, and V. Hugo Schmidt. "Tailoring microstructure and photovoltaic effect in multiferroic Nd-substituted BiFeO3 ceramics by processing atmosphere modification." Journal of the European Ceramic Society, 38 no. 4 (November 2017): 1389-1398. DOI: 10.1016/j.jeurceramsoc.2017.11.025.0955-2219https://scholarworks.montana.edu/handle/1/14755This study highlights significant effects of processing atmosphere ratio (O2/N2) on microstructure, impurity phases, atomic hybridization, band gap, and photovoltaic properties in (Bi0.93Nd0.07)FeO3 (BFO7Nd) ceramics. A Rietveld-refinement analysis indicates increased oxygen and bismuth vacancies in the specimens processed in the O2-rich atmosphere (hereafter called O2-rich-atmosphere specimens). In the matrix containing mainly Fe3+ ions, Fe4+ cations were identified with O2 concentration decreasing in the atmosphere by Fe K/L-edges synchrotron X-ray absorption. Oxygen K-edge absorption reveals reduced hybridizations of the O 2p–Fe 3d and the O 2p–Bi 6sp orbitals in the O2-rich-atmosphere specimens. Photovoltaic effects in the ITO/BFO7Nd/Au heterostructures under near-ultraviolet irradiation (λ = 405 nm) exhibit strong dependences on O2/N2 ratio. A p-n-junction model was used to describe open-circuit voltage and short-circuit current density as functions of irradiation intensity. The calculated carrier densities (in BFO7Nd ceramics) and p-n-junction widths (in the dark) are ∼1023 m−3 and a few hundred nanometers, respectively.enThis Item is protected by copyright and/or related rights. You are free to use this Item in any way that is permitted by the copyright and related rights legislation that applies to your use. For other uses you need to obtain permission from the rights-holder(s).http://rightsstatements.org/vocab/InC/1.0/Article