Dear Prof, is there a subtle distinction between the terms "substitution" and "doping" when referring to modifying ceramic dielectric materials for example Na0.5Bi0.5TiO3? Is there any difference in how these terms are used within the fields of science vs engineering? thank you very much
Doping is a more general concept. It denotes any possible way of changing the composition of the material. For example, when introducing additional atoms into the lattice. Such an impurity is called an interstitial impurity. On the contrary, we can remove some of certain atoms. Then you get the subtraction impurity. Such tricks are easy and neat to perform with intercalate materials. But it is also possible to change the composition due to complete or partial (and often very small) replacement of some atoms of the compound with others. The easiest way to do this is with atoms that are similar to each other. For example, 3d metals can often fit into each other's place. Halogens have the same properties. And so on.
This type of doping is called substitution.
In addition to the other comments, doping can also be interstitial. In this case, the dopant atoms will sit on lattice interstitial sites - between atoms in their normal lattice locations - and not replace any of the original atoms. Substitutional dopant atoms take the place of the original material atoms.
Also doping implies adding or replacing a small fraction of the original material so a small atomic fraction of the dopant is used.
Substitution could be trading any fraction of the original for your replacement, even full exchange.
Really thank you very much for your kind answer to me Prof@Ashish Bhatt, @Alexander N Titov and @w.s.I Boyer
- Badges
- Science topic
- Similar topics
- Filing