Theoretical and experimental study on the photoluminescence in BaTiO3 amorphous thin films prepared by the chemical route

A polymeric precursor method was used to synthesize BaTiO3 amorphous thin film processed at low temperature. The luminescence spectra of BaTiO3 amorphous thin films at room temperature revealed an intense single-emission band in the visible region. The visible emission band was found to be dependent of the thermal treatment history. Photoluminescence (PL) properties for different annealing temperatures were investigated. It was concluded that the intensity of PL is strongly dependent on both the heat treatment of the films and the presence of an inorganic disordered phase. Experimental optical absorption measurements showed the presence of a tail. These results are interpreted by the nature of these exponential optical edges and tails, associated with defects promoted by the disordered structure of the amorphous material. We discuss the nature of visible PL at room temperature in amorphous barium titanate in the light of the results of recent experimental and quantum mechanical theoretical studies. Our investigation of the electronic structure involved the use of first-principle molecular calculations to simulate the variation of the electronic structure in the barium titanate crystalline phase, which is known to have a direct band gap, and we also made an in-depth examination of amorphous barium titanate. (C) 2003 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.