Temperature-Dependent Cathodoluminescence Spectroscopy and Microscopy as a Tool for Defect Identification in Semiconducting Ceramics: Application to BaTiO3 Ceramics

Authors

T. Hübner, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle, Germany
U. Marx, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle, Germany
J. Schreiber, Martin-Luther-Universität Halle, Germany

Abstract

Cathodoluminescence (CL) spectroscopy and microscopy were applied to investigate the characteristic grain-boundary contrast in semiconducting ferroelectric BaTiO₃ ceramics. It was shown, that "chemically clean" grain boundaries do not reveal any specific CL components neither in the visible nor in the infrared part of the spectrum. Instead, the contrast arises from at least two different non-radiative recombination centers present in the grain and the grain-boundary zones, respectively. Activation thresholds for these centers were determined from the temperature dependence of the integral CL signal down to 30K. The different values found explain the contrast reversal observed in BaTiO₃ ceramics upon cooling. Starting from a consideration of the defect equilibria present in the samples after selected treatment cycles, we could attribute the non-radiative recombination centers to oxygen vacancies.

Recommended Citation

Hübner, T.; Marx, U.; and Schreiber, J. (1995) "Temperature-Dependent Cathodoluminescence Spectroscopy and Microscopy as a Tool for Defect Identification in Semiconducting Ceramics: Application to BaTiO3 Ceramics," Scanning Microscopy: Vol. 1995: No. 9, Article 22.
Available at: https://digitalcommons.usu.edu/microscopy/vol1995/iss9/22