The Effect of Strontium Doping on LaFeO3 Thin Films Deposited by the PLD Method

Abstract

The aim of the presented investigations was to deposit the thin films La1−xSrxFeO3 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2) on (100) Si substrate by using the Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) method. Structure was exanimated by using XRD, SEM, AFM, TEM and XPS methods. The catalytic properties were analyzed in 4 ppm acetone atmosphere. The doping of Sr thin films La1−xSrxFeO3 (x = 0, 0.1, 0.2) resulted in a decrease in the size of the crystallites, the volume of the elemental cell and change in the grain morphology. In the LaFeO3 and La0.9Sr0.1FeO3, clusters around which small grains grow are visible in the structure, while in the layer La0.8Sr0.2FeO3, the visible grains are elongated. The TEM analysis has shown that the obtained thin films had a thickness in the range 150–170 nm with triangular or flat column ends. The experiment performed in the presence of gases allowed us to conclude that the surfaces (101/020) in the triangle-shaped columns and the plane (121/200) faces in flat columns were exposed to gases. The best properties in the presence of CH3COCH3 gas were noted for LaFeO3 thin film with triangle columns ending with orientation (101/020).