Bismuth Oxide sputtering target

The structures adopted by Bi2O3 differ substantially from those of arsenic(III) oxide, As2O3, and antimony(III) oxide, Sb2O3. 

Existence domains of the four polymorphs of Bi2O3 as a function of temperature. The α-phase transforms to the δ-phase when heated above 727 °C, which remains the structure until the melting point, 824 °C, is reached. When cooled, the δ-phase transforms into either the β-phase at 650 °C, or the γ-phase at 639 °C. The β-phase transforms to the α-phase at 303 °C. The γ-phase may persist to room temperature when the cooling rate is very slow, otherwise it transforms to the α-phase at 500 °C. 

Bismuth oxide, Bi2O3 has five crystallographic polymorphs. The room temperature phase, α-Bi2O3 has a monoclinic crystal structure. There are three high temperature phases, a tetragonal β-phase, a body-centred cubic γ-phase, a cubic δ-Bi2O3 phase and an ε- phase. The room temperature α-phase has a complex structure with layers of oxygen atoms with layers of bismuth atoms between them. The bismuth atoms are in two different environments which can be described as distorted 6 and 5 coordinate respectively.