Effect of substrate types on the physical properties of bismuth thin films

Abstract

Bi thin films grown by a high vacuum evaporation technique on three different substrates GaAs(001), sapphire Al2O3 (0001), and quartz SiO2 have been studied. The effects of substrate material on the microstructure of the films have been investigated. High resolution X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy, spectral reflectance and spectroscopic ellipsometry characterization techniques have been used to study the structural, morphological, and optical properties of grown Bi material. The physical parameters like lattice constants, texture coefficient, effective crystallite size, dislocation density, and strain have been evaluated. The analysis and comparison of data measurements indicate a clear dependency of material quality on the substrate.