Effects of Nb Doping on The Properties of BiFeO3 Ceramics
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.31305/rrjiks.2025.v2.n2.027Keywords:
BiFeO₃, multiferroic ceramics, niobium doping, leakage current reduction, magnetoelectric coupling, electrical and magnetic propertiesAbstract
Bismuth ferrite (BiFeO₃, BFO) is one of the few single-phase multiferroic materials that simultaneously exhibits ferroelectric and antiferromagnetic ordering at room temperature, making it highly attractive for multifunctional applications such as non-volatile memories, spintronic devices, sensors, and actuators. Despite its high Curie temperature (~1100 K) and Néel temperature (~640 K), the practical deployment of BFO ceramics is severely restricted by intrinsic drawbacks, including high leakage current, low electrical resistivity, weak net magnetization, and large coercive fields. These limitations mainly arise from bismuth volatility during high-temperature processing, oxygen vacancy formation, Fe²⁺/Fe³⁺ valence instability, and the presence of a long-range cycloidal spin structure. In this context, niobium (Nb⁵⁺) doping at the Fe³⁺ (B-site) has emerged as an effective strategy to overcome these challenges. Acting as a donor dopant, Nb⁵⁺ suppresses oxygen vacancies and Fe²⁺ formation, significantly reducing leakage current and enhancing electrical resistivity by several orders of magnitude. Simultaneously, Nb doping disrupts the cycloidal spin modulation, inducing weak ferromagnetism and improving magnetic anisotropy and remanent magnetization. Structural and microstructural modifications, including reduced grain size and core–shell microstructures, further contribute to enhanced dielectric stability and functional performance. Optimal Nb concentrations (0.5–1.0 mol%) yield improved ferroelectric polarization, reduced dielectric loss, enhanced magneto-dielectric coupling, and superior piezoelectric response, demonstrating that Nb-doped BiFeO₃ ceramics hold strong potential for next-generation multifunctional devices.
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