Domain structure and optical property of epitaxial indium oxide film deposited on MgO(100) substrate

Indium oxide (In₂O₃) film has been deposited on MgO(100) substrate at 600 °C by metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The crystal structure and epitaxial relationship of the sample were examined by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM). The results showed a clear epitaxial relationship of In₂O₃(111)||MgO(100) with In₂O₃[011?]||MgO<072> or In₂O₃[01$\overline{1}$]||MgO<011>. A multiple domain structure was found inside the In₂O₃ film and a theoretical model clarifying the geometrical relationships between each domain and the substrate has been proposed. Scanning electron microscopy (SEM) micrograph showed that the main surface features were triangle-shaped grains on the film. The absolute average transmittance of the obtained film in the visible range was over 93%.     

Structural and electrical properties of SrZr0.95Y0.05O3/SrTiO3 superlattices

Superlattice thin films of a perovskite-type oxide proton conductor SrZr_0.95Y_0.05O₃/SrTiO₃ were fabricated and their structural and electrical properties were investigated. X-ray and electron diffraction analysis reveals that the thin films were epitaxially grown on MgO (001) substrate. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy observation shows that the multilayered structure is uniform and that the interfaces between the different layers are of low roughness. Misfit dislocations are found at the interface, having Burgers vectors in direction a[100]. From the local elemental analysis, the interdiffusion of Zr and Ti between layers was not observed, while Mg impurities diffused from the substrate are observed. The in-plane electrical conductivity of the thin films was measured by impedance spectroscopy. The conductivity of the superlattices shows a higher value than a single SrZr_0.95Y_0.05O₃ film. The activation energies of the epitaxial layers show relatively higher value than the corresponding single crystal.     

Structural properties of high-quality sputtered Fe films on Al2O3(1120) and MgO(001) substrates

High-quality thin Fe films were deposited on MgO(001) and Al₂O₃(1120) substrates in the thickness range from 7 to 50 nm. The structural properties have been studied by out-of-plane and in-plane X-ray scattering experiments. From the out-of-plane measurements the electron density profile was determined together with interface and surface roughness parameters. Fe on Al₂O₃ grows along the [110]-direction with a structural coherence length comprising about the total film thick ness and a very small mosaicity. From in-plane scattering experiments a three-domain structure was observed. On MgO(001) substrates Fe grows in the [001]-direction, with the Fe [100]-axis parallel to the MgO [110]-axis. On both substrates, the Fe films exhibit a very small surface and interface roughness, indicative for a high quality of the sputtered samples.     

SrTiO3(110) thin films grown directly on different oriented silicon substrates

We have grown (110)-oriented SrTiO₃ (STO) thin films on silicon without any buffer layer, by means of pulsed laser deposition technique. The crystal structures of the grown films were examined by X-ray diffraction analysis including θ–2θ scan and rocking curve as well as Laue diffraction methods. STO films with single (110) out-of-plane orientation were formed on all (100), (110) and (111)-oriented Si substrates. The in-plane alignments for the epitaxial STO films grown directly on Si (100) were found as STO[001]//Si[001] and STO[11̄0]//Si[010]. The results should be of interest for better understanding of the growth of perovskite oxide thin films on silicon wafers. PACS 77.55.+f; 68.55.JK; 81.15Fg     

Epitaxial growth of InN on nearly lattice-matched (Mn,Zn)Fe2O4

We have grown InN films on nearly lattice-matched (Mn,Zn)Fe₂O₄ (111) substrates at low temperatures by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and investigated their structural properties. InN films grown at substrate temperatures above 400 °C show poor crystallinity, and their in-plane epitaxial relationship is [10-10]InN//[11-2](Mn,Zn)Fe₂O₄, which means that their lattice mismatch is quite large (11%). By contrast, high quality InN films with flat surfaces can be grown at growth temperatures lower than 150 °C with the ideal in-plane epitaxial relationship of [11-20]InN//[11-2](Mn,Zn)Fe₂O₄, which produces lattice mismatches of as low as 2.0%. X-ray reflectivity measurements have revealed that the thickness of the interfacial layer between the InN and the substrates is reduced from 14 to 8.4 nm when the growth temperature is decreased from 400 °C to room temperature. This suppression of the interface reactions by reducing the growth temperature is probably responsible for the improvement in crystalline quality. These results indicate that the use of (Mn,Zn)Fe₂O₄ (111) substrates at low growth temperatures allows us to achieve nearly lattice matched epitaxial growth of InN.     

Epitaxial growth of non-c-oriented ferroelectric SrBi2Ta2O9 thin films on Si(100) substrates

Epitaxial SrBi₂Ta₂O₉ (SBT) thin films with well-defined (116) orientation have been grown by pulsed laser deposition on Si(100) substrates covered with an yttria-stabilized ZrO₂ (YSZ) buffer layer and an epitaxial layer of electrically conductive SrRuO₃. Studies on the in-plane crystallographic relations between SrRuO₃ and YSZ revealed a rectangle-on-cube epitaxy with respect to the substrate. X-ray diffraction pole figure measurements revealed well-defined orientation relations, viz. SBT(116)SrRuO₃(110)YSZ(100)Si(100), SBT[110]SrRuO₃[001], and SrRuO₃[111]YSZ[110]Si[110].     

Growth of iron single crystals in the etched ion tracks of polymer foils

Pulse reverse electrolysis in an ultrasonic field is used to grow iron single crystals of micron size in templates formed by etching the tracks of swift ions in polymer foils. High-grade crystals are produced from high-temperature ferrous chloride baths. The crystals are oriented along their <110>, <100>, and <111> crystallographic axes. Their orientation turns out to depend on supersaturation during the growing process. At low overvoltages of deposition, <110> and <100> orientations are observed. The crystals of <111> orientation appear more frequently at higher cathode pulse current density. The crystals possess prominent resistance to corrosion. Received: 20 February 2001 / Accepted: 21 February 2001 / Published online: 3 May 2001     

Oxygen-segregation-controlled epitaxy of Y2O3 films on Nb(110)

We demonstrate a very simple and reliable method of manufacturing clean, single-crystalline Y₂O₃ films on Nb(110) substrates in situ. The method exploits the oxygen bulk contamination of Nb as a source of clean oxygen. For substrate temperatures above 800 K oxygen segregation to the Nb surface is so efficient, that yttrium becomes oxidized during deposition without any background oxygen pressure required in the ultrahigh vacuum system. The crystallinity and stoichiometry of these films can be tuned by the deposition temperature. For Y deposition at 1300 K the formation of well-ordered (111)-oriented Y₂O₃ films is achieved. Received: 19 April 2000 / Accepted: 20 April 2000 / Published online: 23 August 2000     

Growth of orientation-controlled Pb(Mg,Nb)O3-PbTiO3 thin films on Si(100) by using oriented MgO films as buffers

Thin films of relaxor ferroelectric Pb(Mg,Nb)O₃-PbTiO₃ with different orientations were grown by pulsed-laser deposition on Si(100). By using (111)-, (110)- and (100)-oriented MgO thin film as buffer and the LaNiO₃ thin film as a bottom electrode, (110)- and (100)- oriented or preferred and polycrystalline PMN-PT thin films were obtained. The (110)-oriented PMN-PT thin film showed dielectric permittivity of about 1350 and loss factor cosδ of <0.07. PACS 68.55.Jk; 81.15.Fg; 77.84.Dy     

Mechanical stability of ferrimagnetic CoFe2O4 flexible thin films

We fabricated high-quality ferrimagnetic CoFe₂O₄ (CFO) thin films on a mica substrate using a pulsed laser deposition technique. High-resolution X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy revealed that the film grew epitaxially with the relationships of CFO <1-10> || Mica [010] and CFO [111] || Mica [001]. The films were highly flexible in terms of both inward and outward bending, and exhibited clear ferrimagnetic hysteresis with weak anisotropy in both the in-plane and out-of-plane directions. We observed that the magnetization of CFO films was robust against mechanical stimuli without microcracks. The remnant magnetization and coercive field were within 8% and 11% over a strain of ±0.54%. As the number of bending cycles increased, the magnetic easy axis became more closely aligned to the out-of-plane direction, without any noticeable change in domain size.     

Characterization of epitaxial MgO growth on Si(001) surface

MgO epitaxial growth on a Si(001) surface by ultrahigh-vacuum molecular beam epitaxy was investigated. Epitaxial orientation and crystalline quality were characterized based on the three-dimensional reciprocal map obtained by Weissenberg RHEED. The epitaxial orientation and crystallinity were strongly dependent on the initial condition of the substrate. When MgO was deposited on a clean Si(001) surface at room temperature a MgO(001) film grew on the Si(001) substrate with two in-plane orientations:MgO[110]//Si[100] and MgO[100]//Si[100]. This is the first observation of MgO epitaxy with the former orientation, which has a smaller mismatch than the latter orientation. When the substrate was exposed to O₂ or thermally oxidized, the latterorientation predominantly grew on the substrate. Deposition of Mg on the substrate also produced the latter orientation. These results imply that nucleation sites on the initial substrate play an important role in determining the epitaxial orientation.     

Growth and characterization of Y2O3 thin films

Y₂O₃ thin films were grown on silicon (1 0 0) substrates by pulsed-laser deposition at different substrate temperatures and O₂ pressures. The structure and composition of films are studied by using X-ray diffraction (XRD) and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS). The Y₂O₃ thin films deposited in vacuum strongly oriented their [1 1 1] axis of the cubic structure and the film quality depended on the substrate temperature. The magnitude of O₂ pressure obviously influences the film structure and quality. Due to the silicon diffusion and interface reaction during the deposition, yttrium silicate and SiO₂ were formed. The strong relationship between composition and growth condition was discussed.     

Synthesis of LaAlO3 by metal organic decomposition on SrTiO3 substrates

LaAlO₃ (LAO) films on SrTiO₃ (STO) substrates have been produced by metal organic decomposition using La(C₅H₇O₂)₃ and Al(C₅H₇O₂)₃ as precursors dissolved in propionic acid. The process consists of growing thin layers through dip coating and subsequent annealing. After testing different cationic ratios of La and Al, it was determined that an optimal ratio leads to a single LAO phase film that grows epitaxially (cube on cube) on top of the STO. This was shown by X-ray diffraction (XRD) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses. These analyses, as well as additional X-ray reflectivity analysis, also revealed that the LAO's thickness obtained in one dip ranges from 8 nm to 16 nm. Taking advantage of the epitaxial conditions, several layers can be stacked by successive dip coatings and annealing to form an epitaxial structure.     

Epitaxial growth of bcc-FexCo100-x thin films on MgO(1 1 0) single-crystal substrates

Fe_xCo_100-x (x=100, 65, 50 at%) epitaxial thin films were prepared on MgO(1 1 0) single-crystal substrates heated at 300 °C by ultra-high vacuum molecular beam epitaxy. The film structure and the growth mechanism are discussed. FeCo(2 1 1) films with bcc structure grow epitaxially on MgO(1 1 0) substrates with two types of variants whose orientations are rotated around the film normal by 180° each other for all compositions. Fe_xCo_100-x film growth follows the Volmer Weber mode. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates the out-of-plane and the in-plane lattice spacings are in agreement with the values of respective bulk Fe_xCo_100-x crystals with very small errors less than ±0.4%, suggesting the strains in the films are very small. High-resolution cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy shows that periodical misfit dislocations are preferentially introduced in the film at the Fe₅₀Co₅₀/MgO interface along the MgO[1 1¯ 0] direction. The presence of such periodical dislocations decreases the large lattice mismatch of about −17% existing at the FeCo/MgO interface along the MgO[1 1¯ 0] direction.     

Transmission electron microscopy studies on structure and defects in crystalline yttria and lanthanum oxide thin films grown on single crystal sapphire by molecular beam synthesis

The Molecular beam synthesis and characterization are reported for Y₂O₃ thin films grown on Al₂O₃ (0001) substrate. The Y₂O₃ layer was highly oriented in the [111] direction with predominant orientation relations (111) Y₂O₃ ‖ (0001) Al₂O₃ and [110] Y₂O₃ ‖ [2110] Al₂O₃, corresponding to a lattice mismatch of ～20% at the interface. No significant interfacial layers were found at the Y₂O₃/Al₂O₃ interface and the large lattice misfit was accommodated by formation of stacking faults, dislocations and secondary orientation in the Y₂O₃ layer. A La₂O₃ interlayer improved the quality of the Y₂O₃ films. Full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the Y₂O₃ (222) peak decreased from 3.12° to 1.43° and the defect density in the Y₂O₃ layer was significantly reduced. These results may be relevant in the broader context of designing oxide heterolayers with controlled microstructures.     

Growth of the Bi2O3 thin films under atmospheric pressure by means of halide CVD

Films of Bi₂O₃ were grown on glass substrate under atmospheric pressure by means of halide chemical vapour deposition (AP-HCVD) using BiI₃ and O₂ as the starting materials. In the XRD diffractogram of the film a strong diffraction peak appears at 27.91° assigned to the (111) diffraction of the δ-Bi₂O₃ with cubic structure. X-ray pole figure suggested that the 〈111〉 direction of the film is perpendicular to the substrate surface, while the 〈110〉 axis directs towards all directions parallel to the substrate surface. It is for the first that δ-Bi₂O₃ film was prepared on glass substrate.     

Morphology and electrical properties of pulsed-laser deposited Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8+δ films on vicinal substrates

Thin films of Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_8+δ have been grown on vicinal (001) SrTiO₃ substrates by pulsed-laser deposition. Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction reveal well ordered films with the c axis of the film parallel with the c axis of the substrate for miscut angles up to θ_S≈15°. TEM also reveals the step-like film morphology due to step-flow growth. The in-plane and out-of-plane resistivities are independent of film thickness within the range 20–300 nm and agree quite well with Bi₂Sr₂CaCu₂O_8+δ single-crystal data. Received:15 May 2000 / Accepted:17 May 2000 / Published online: 9 August 2000     

Ultrathin Y2O3(111) films on Pt(111) substrates

The growth of ultrathin films of Y₂O₃(111) on Pt(111) has been studied using scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), X-ray photoemission spectroscopy (XPS), and low energy electron diffraction (LEED). The films were grown by physical vapor deposition of yttrium in a 10^? 6 Torr oxygen atmosphere. Continuous Y₂O₃(111) films were obtained by post-growth annealing at 700 °C. LEED and STM indicate an ordered film with a bulk-truncated Y₂O₃(111)–1 × 1 structure exposed. Furthermore, despite the lattices of the substrate and the oxide film being incommensurate, the two lattices exhibit a strict in-plane orientation relationship with the [11?0] directions of the two cubic lattices aligning parallel to each other. XPS measurements suggest hydroxyls to be easily formed at the Y₂O₃ surface at room temperature even under ultra high vacuum conditions. The hydrogen desorbs from the yttria surface above ~ 200 °C.     

L10 FePt films epitaxially grown on MgO substrates with or without a Cr underlayer

FePt and FePt/Cr films were epitaxially grown on MgO (2 0 0) substrates at 350 °C by DC magnetron sputtering. The structural properties and epitaxial relationship are investigated by high-resolution X-ray diffraction (XRD). The XRD spectra revealed that both FePt and FePt/Cr films had a (0 0 1) preferred orientation. However, FePt films with Cr underlayers had a larger a and a smaller c than those of the samples without Cr underlayers. Furthermore, the FePt (0 0 1) peak characterized by its rocking curves became less pronounced when the Cr underlayer was applied. The off-spectra from the MgO (1 1 1), Cr (1 0 1) and FePt (1 1 1) demonstrated that the epitaxial relationship between the FePt film, Cr underlayer and MgO substrate was confirmed to be FePt (0 0 1)<100> || Cr (1 0 0)<1 1 0> || MgO (1 0 0)<0 0 1>. The domain size and M_s decreased when the Cr underlayer was applied due to the diffusion of Cr and the existence of the initial layer between Cr and FePt layers.     

Quasi-static electric field–temperature diagrams in epitaxial relaxor ferroelectric films

Quasi-static polarization induced by dc electric field was studied in a broad range of temperatures in epitaxial films of relaxor ferroelectric PbMg_1/3Nb_2/3O₃ and PbSc_1/2Nb_1/2O₃. The electric field was applied and the response was measured along the out-of-plane <100> crystal direction of the epitaxial perovskite-structure (001) oriented films. The films remained in the relaxor state in zero-field cooling. A new polar state can be induced by electric field at a critical temperature below 100 K. The critical field and the induced polarization increased on cooling and reached the bulk-like values at 20 K. The orientational anisotropy of thin-film dipolar systems is discussed as a possible reason for the observed stable relaxor state.