Tuning the Charge-Transport Properties of CeTiO₃ Thin Films through Controllable Phase Transformations Induced by the JNSP Technique

作者：Yogeshwaran A, Suresh R, Paramesvaran A · 发表于：International Research Journal of Multidisciplinary Technovation · 年份：2026 · DOI：10.54392/irjmt2657 · 研究领域：Semiconductor materials and interfaces、Luminescence Properties of Advanced Materials、Chalcogenide Semiconductor Thin Films

CeTiO3 thin films were synthesized by jet nebulizer spray pyrolysis (JNSP) at substrate temperatures of 350, 400, and 450 °C to investigate temperature-dependent structural, optical, morphological, and electrical properties for photodiode applications. X-ray diffraction analysis confirmed temperature-induced phase evolution and showed an increase in average crystallite size from 11.46 to 12.98 nm, accompanied by a reduction in dislocation density. FESEM observations revealed progressive grain growth and improved film densification, with average particle size increasing from approximately 17 to 35 nm. UV–Vis analysis demonstrated a decrease in optical band gap from 2.96 to 2.64 eV as the substrate temperature increased, indicating enhanced visible-light absorption. XPS confirmed the presence of Ce, Ti, and O with mixed Ce3+/Ce4+ states and predominantly Ti4+. CeTiO3/p-Si photodiodes were fabricated and evaluated through current-voltage measurements under illumination. Device performance improved with increasing deposition temperature, with the 450 °C sample exhibiting the lowest ideality factor of 1.991, the highest barrier height of 0.411 eV, responsivity of 5.97 mA/W, quantum efficiency of 8.89%, and detectivity of 5.66 × 10^10 Jones. These results demonstrate that substrate-temperature control effectively tunes CeTiO3 thin-film properties and enhances photodiode performance. The optimized films therefore show strong potential for oxide-based optoelectronic and photodetectio...