Fabrication of multiferroic single crystal bismuth ferrite

• Main Author: Ling, Han.
• Other Authors: Chen Lang
• Format: Final Year Project
• Language: English
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: DRNTU::Engineering::Materials::Magnetic materials
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10356/43729
• Institution: Nanyang Technological University

Multiferroic materials have gained great interests due to its promising potential applications in data storage, spin valves, spintronics and so on [1]. In this project, main attention was paid on the single crystal fabrication of bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3/BFO) under preciously controlled conditions through floating zone and flux methods. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM) were used to characterize the structure of the synthesized crystals. The key point is the crystallization process control, including temperature, cooling rate, material composition, and environment. The determining factor to obtain the BFO phase single crystal is the cooling rate around 1ºC per hour. The structures of synthesized single crystals (BiFeO3 and Bi2Fe4O9) and poly-crystals (decomposed multi-phase material) were studied in this project.