Properties of atomic layer deposited iron oxide and bismuth oxide chloride structures

Abstract

Two-component crystalline thin film structures consisting of continuous ε-Fe2O3 bottom layers followed by top layers of BiOCl nanoflakes were grown using atomic layer deposition from FeCl3 and BiCl3 at 375 °C. Si(100) planar wafer, three-dimensional Si structures and conductive TiN/Si were exploited as substrates. Electrical measurements revealed that the deposited structures were moderately leaky, as the structures showed rectifying behavior affected by visible illumination. Magnetization in these films in the as-deposited state was nonlinear, saturative, and exhibited well-defined coercive fields. Annealing changed the surface morphology, phase composition and reduced the magnetic behavior of the thin films.