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Exploring the structural and electronic properties of CeO₂ thin films: role of thickness, temperature, and oxygen vacancies

SELEN GUNAYDIN1, ERHAN CENGIZ2, IMRAN KANMAZ3, GÖKHAN APAYDIN3, HIDETOSHI MIYAZAKI4, MESSAOUD HARFOUCHE5, OSMAN MURAT OZKENDIR6,*

Affiliation

  1. Faculty of Enegineering and Natural Sciences, Bahceşehir University, Istanbul,34349, Turkiye
  2. Department of Fundamental Sciences, Rafet Kayış Engineering Faculty, Alanya Alaaddin Keykubat University, 07425, Alanya, Antalya, Turkiye
  3. Department of Physics, Science Faculty, Karadeniz Technical University, 61080, Trabzon, Turkiye
  4. Department of Physical Science and Engineering, Nagoya Institute of Technology, Nagoya 466-8555, Japan
  5. Synchrotron-light for Experimental Science and Applications in the Middle East (SESAME), Allan 19252, Jordan
  6. Department of Mathematical and Natural Sciences, Tarsus University, 33400 Tarsus, Turkiye

Abstract

Systematic investigation of the temperature-dependent local arrangements in CeO₂ thin films and their direct impact on electronic properties is presented. Results revealed that thicker films promote oxygen vacancy formation, reducing Ce⁴⁺ to Ce³⁺ and modifying the local coordination. Furthermore, temperature-dependent EXAFS analysis uncovers a local structural rearrangement transition above 400 K, driven by thermal activation of oxygen vacancies. This rearrangement, occurring within a globally stable cubic framework, directly alters the hybridization between Ce 4f/5d and O 2p orbitals. Density Functional Theory (DFT) calculations corroborate the experimental findings, revealing an indirect bandgap of 1.60 eV as a result of orbital hybridization..

Keywords

Cerium dioxide (CeO₂), Thin films, EXAFS, Electronic structure.

Submitted at: April 18, 2025
Accepted at: Dec. 4, 2025

Citation

SELEN GUNAYDIN, ERHAN CENGIZ, IMRAN KANMAZ, GÖKHAN APAYDIN, HIDETOSHI MIYAZAKI, MESSAOUD HARFOUCHE, OSMAN MURAT OZKENDIR, Exploring the structural and electronic properties of CeO₂ thin films: role of thickness, temperature, and oxygen vacancies, Journal of Optoelectronics and Advanced Materials Vol. 27, Iss. 11-12, pp. 587-595 (2025)