Role of oxygen in multiferroic behavior of BiFeO3 films grown on 0.2% Nb doped SrTiO3

• PLD grown BiFeO3 multiferroic films under various oxygen partial pressures.
• Oxygen stoichiometry, Bi/Fe ratio and film thickness calculated using RBS.
• Modification in electrical and magnetic properties with oxygen stoichiometry.
• Leakage current mechanism is explained by various theoretical models.

Effect of oxygen partial pressure on the structural, transport and magnetic properties of BiFeO3 (BFO) films grown on n-type conducting SrNb0.002Ti0.998O3(SNTO) substrates has been investigated. Variation in oxygen partial pressure, during pulsed laser deposition (PLD), results in the modifications in the physical properties of the films. Rutherford Backscattering (RBS) measurement shows that, BFO/SNTO films grown at 100 and 300 mT oxygen partial pressures, exhibit better polarization and magnetization. Tuning of electrical and magnetic properties with oxygen partial pressure has been discussed in the light of oxygen vacancies. Various charge transport mechanisms have been discussed to understand the leakage current mechanisms in BFO/SNTO films.