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Thickness Dependence of Photoconductance in Strained BiFeO 3 Thin Films With Planar Device Geometry (Phys. Status Solidi RRL 1/2018)
Author(s) -
Huang Zhifeng,
Li Peilian,
Fan Zhen,
Fan Hua,
Luo Qiuyuan,
Chen Chao,
Chen Deyang,
Zeng Min,
Qin Minghui,
Zhang Zhang,
Lu Xubing,
Gao Xingsen,
Liu JunMing
Publication year - 2018
Publication title -
physica status solidi (rrl) – rapid research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.786
H-Index - 68
eISSN - 1862-6270
pISSN - 1862-6254
DOI - 10.1002/pssr.201870401
Subject(s) - photodetector , tetragonal crystal system , planar , photoconductivity , materials science , optoelectronics , phase (matter) , thin film , nanotechnology , physics , computer science , computer graphics (images) , quantum mechanics
Photodetectors, which convert incident light into electricity, are the key components to many optoelectronic technologies in use today. How well the photodetectors perform depends on how efficiently the photo‐excited electron–hole pairs are separated. Efficient charge separation was recently discovered in tetragonal–rhombohedral (T‐R) polymorphic phase boundaries (PPBs) in strained BiFeO 3 (BFO) films, which also raised the question of whether the PPBs could enhance the performance of BFO‐based planar photodetectors. In their Letter (article no. 1700301 ), Zhen Fan, Xingsen Gao and co‐workers systematically investigate the photoconductive characteristics of strained BFO films with different thicknesses, in which the BFO evolves from a pure T phase (without PPBs) to a T‐R mixed phase (with PPBs), by using the planar device geometry. Interestingly, the 50‐nm film containing the pure T phase without any detectable PPBs exhibits the highest photoconductance. To understand this unexpected observation, the authors analyze the effects of increasing film thickness and associated phase evolution on the photoconduction process, with particular attention paid to the role of PPBs. This study provides insights into the physics of photoconduction in the BFO‐based planar devices, which may benefit the development of high‐performance photodetectors.