Ion-channeling analysis for epitaxial YBa2Cu3Ox superconducting thin films by laser deposition

Rutherford backscattering/channeling has been applied to study structures of as-deposited epitaxial YBa₂Cu₃O_x thin films prepared on {100}SrTiO₃ by laser deposition. The epitaxial growth has been proved by a planar channeling experiment and transmission electron microscopy. An axial angular yield profile for barium along the c-axis has ideal characters of compensating shoulders and of a flat region at the bottom of the channeling dip. The thermal vibration amplitude, which has been determined from a half-angle of the axial angular yield profile by using Gemmell's channeling model for polyatomic crystals, is compared to those from diffraction experiments.