Preparation of all-oxide heterostructures based on cation engineered photoferroelectric BiFeO3 thin films by cost-effective methodologies

Pamela Machado, Superconducting Materials and Large Scale Nanostructures (SUMAN) Group at ICMAB-CSIC

Date: Wednesday, 19 July 2023
Time: 11:00 AM
Venue: Institut de Ciència de Materials de Barcelona (ICMAB, CSIC) - Sala d'Actes Carles Miravitlles

Abstract:

The photoferroelectric perovskite oxide BiFeO3 (BFO) offers singular opportunities to be used as stable light-absorber in photovoltaic devices compared to traditional semiconductors, but the performances are still low. This PhD thesis investigates the frontiers of cation substitution in BFO to prepare stable, pure phase and epitaxial films with enhanced optoelectronic properties relying on cost-effective chemical solution deposition methodologies. Then, it is studied the challenging preparation of an all-oxide photovoltaic (PV) architecture based on epitaxial cation engineered BFO light-absorber, to subsequently investigate the role of interfacial layers on the device performance. Finally, it is developed a solution process to prepare p-type epitaxial La0.75Sr0.25CrO3 transparent conducting oxide thin films to be potentially integrated, but not limited to, BFO-based devices.

Supervisor:

• Mariona Coll, SUMAN group, ICMAB, CSIC

• President: Dr. José Santiso López, Institut Català de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia, Spain
• Secretary:  Dr. Edgardo Saucedo Silva, Universitat Politècnica de Catalunya, Spain
• Vocal: Dr. Íñigo Bretos Ullivarri, Instituto de Ciencia de Materiales de Madrid, Spain

University: Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (UAB)
PhD Programme: Materials Science

Sketch of a multi-layered thin film PV heterostructure based on the cation-substituted BiFeO₃ light absorber | Pamela Machado, ICMAB, CSIC