Formation of nanocrystalline BaTiO₃ thin films by pulsed laser deposition

The paper shows the experimental results of the substrate temperature effect on the morphological and electro-physical parameters of nanocrystalline BaTiO₃ films fabricated by pulsed laser deposition. It was found increasing in the substrate temperature from 300 °C to 600 °C results in decreasing in surface roughness from (6.1±0.6) nm to (0.8±0.1) nm and increasing in the films grain size from (39.1±3.1) nm to (212.1± 17.2) nm. Increasing in the substrate temperature leads to a change in electro-physical parameters: the concentration of charge carriers increases from (1.85±0.16)×10¹³ cm^-3 to (2.77±0.25)×10¹³ cm^-3, the mobility of charge carriers decreases from (10.1±0.9) cm²/(V·s) to (7.2±0.6) cm²/(V·s), and the resistivity of the films changes insignificantly from (3.4±0.2)×10³ Ω·cm to (3.1±0.2)×10³ Ω·cm under increase in the temperature from 300 °C to 600 °C. The obtained results make it possible to get BaTiO₃ films with target parameters, which can be used to develop promising lead-free energy harvesters for alternative energy devices.