Observation of the early stages of growth and the formation of growth spirals in epitaxial YBa2Cu3O7-δ thin films by AFM

Ultrathin epitaxial films of YBa₂Cu₃O_7– on SrTiO₃ prepared by Direct Current (DC) sputtering and pulsed laser deposition were imaged by Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM) to follow the different stages of growth of the thin films. Series of films with thicknesses between 1.2 nm and 12 nm (1–10 monolayers of YBa₂Cu₃O_7–) were prepared under identical conditions, optimized with respect to electrical and structural properties, to obtain information on the mechanisms responsible for the formation of growth spirals which are commonly observed in films having a thickness of several 10 nm or more. It could be shown that few layers are formed by a layered growth mode where material is attached laterally to 2D islands which are only one c-axis unit cell in height. In a later stage of growth when about 8–10 layers have been formed, the growth process changes to a mode which is mediated by growth spirals. This could be directly monitored in the AFM images where different defect structures like vertically sheared growth fronts and dendrite-like terraces of stacked islands as well as the resulting growth spirals could be identified.