LAUSR

Bi2Se3 powder has been successfully synthesized via mechanical ball milling of bismuth and selenium as starting materials. X-ray diffraction characterization revealed the formation of the rhombohedral and orthorhombic phases of Bi2Se3 material belonging to systems with space groups $$ {\hbox{R}}\bar{3}{\hbox{m}}$$R3¯m and Pbnm, respectively. The advantageous last finding is confirmed by the Rietveld refinement of the x-ray diffraction data. Furthermore, the analysis of the x-ray data of thermally deposited thin films revealed that both orthorhombic and rhombohedral phases are coexisting in the layer. The morphology of the ball milled powder was studied by scanning electron microscopy. The phase formation of the material is confirmed by Raman spectroscopy. M–H (Magnetization versus Magnetic field) curve indicates that Bi2Se3 powder has a ferromagnetic behavior. Additionally, absorbance and transmittance measurements were carried out on the obtained thermally evaporated thin films and yielded a band gap of 1.33 eV supporting the potential application of the heterogeneous rhombohedral/orthorhombic Bi2Se3 material in photovoltaics.