Effect of Thermal Processes on the Electrical and Optical Properties of Fe₂TiO₅ Ceramics

Pseudobrookite (Fe₂TiO₅) is one of the Fe-Ti oxides that have been commonly studied. It is the most stable phase among the Fe-titanates. The multiferroic properties of Fe₂TiO₅ make the material can be used as a potential candidate for new applications due to the combination of semiconducting, magnetic, dielectric, and optical properties. In this research, Fe₂TiO₅ ceramics were synthesized using mechanical milling method for 7 h with various temperatures of 1100 °C, 1200 °C, and 1300 °C. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) observation and x-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements were performed to analyze the microstructures and crystal structures of the Fe₂TiO₅ ceramics. In order to investigate the band gap of the Fe₂TiO₅, the UV-Vis Diffuse Reflectance measurements were conducted. It has been found that the Fe₂TiO₅ ceramic can be applied as a promising candidate for semiconducting devices in which the electrical conductivity and the band gap of the Fe₂TiO₅ ceramic were 1.73 × 10^-7 Ω^-1.cm^-1 and 1.71 eV, respectively. (paper)