Optical study of BST films combining ellipsometry and reflectivity

Optical properties of plasma laser-deposited Ba0.75Sr0.25TiO3 (BST) thin films have been investigated using variable angle spectroscopic ellipsometry (VASE) and near-normal spectroscopic reflectivity (NNSR) within a broad spectral range at room temperature. The samples prepared under various deposition conditions and the Si substrate coated with the structure SiO2/TiOx/Pt were measured. The X-ray diffraction, atomic force microscopy and alpha step measurement were used for characterization of the samples. A special attention was paid to study sample texture. Both sets of experimental data (VASE and NNSR) were fitted simultaneously to obtain the optical constants (e.g. complex refractive index) and thicknesses of the films. For modeling of the experimental data in the range of transparency the Cauchy and Urbach formulas were used. The direct fit procedure and the Cody–Lorentz model were applied around and below absorption edge. In the entire spectral range the reflectivity spectra were analyzed by Kramers–Kronig analysis. The data around the absorption edge were fitted using the single-wavelength method and the absorption edge features were found up about 3.5 eV. The platinum-coated Si substrate data were fitted as a semi-infinite medium using the Drude and Lorentz oscillators model. The structure model for optical characterization of the sample included not only the BST layers and substrate but also the intermix and surface roughness layers to achieve good agreement with experimental data. The substrate structure was modeled by a simple bulk with surface roughness.