Ag15+ and O7+ ion irradiation induced improvement in dielectric properties of the Ba(Co1/3Nb2/3)O3 thin films

We present the preliminary results of temperature and frequency dependent dielectric measurements on Ba(Co1/3Nb2/3)O3 (BCN) thin films. These films were prepared on indium tin oxide (ITO) coated glass substrates by the pulse laser deposition (PLD) technique. It exhibits single-phase hexagonal symmetry. These films were irradiated with Ag15+ (200 MeV) and O7+ (100 MeV) beams at the fluence 1 × 1011, 1 × 1012, and 1 × 1013 ions/cm2. On irradiating these films, its dielectric constant (ɛ′) and dielectric loss (tan δ) parameters improve compared to un-irradiated film. Compared to O7+ irradiation induced point/cluster defects Ag15+ induced columnar defects are more effective in reducing/pinning trapped charges within grains. The present paper highlights the role of swift heavy ion irradiation in engineering the dielectric properties of conductive samples to enable them to be useful for microwave device applications.

Research highlights▶ Swift heavy ion irradiation helps in engineering the dielectric properties of conductive samples to be used as microwave device material. ▶ Irradiating the Ba(Co1/3Nb2/3)O3 (BCN) films with O7+ or Ag15+ beams induces better alignment of grain boundaries leading to significant reduction in dielectric loss. ▶ Compared to O7+ irradiation induced point/cluster defects Ag15+ induced columnar defects are more effective in reducing/pinning trapped charges within grains their by improving overall performance of electrical devices.