Ion beam deposited epitaxial thin silicon films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Orrman-Rossiter, K.G.; Al-Bayati, A.H.; Armour, D.G.; Donnelly, S.E.; Berg, J.A. van den

1991-01-01

Deposition of thin films using low energy, mass-separated ion beams is a potentially important low temperature method of producing epitaxial layers. In these experiments silicon films were grown on Si (001) substrates using 10-200 eV 28 Si + and 30 Si + ions at substrate temperatures in the range 273-1073 K, under ultrahigh-vacuum conditions (deposition pressure -7 Pa). The film crystallinity was assessed in situ using medium energy ion scattering (MEIS). Films of crystallinity comparable to bulk samples were grown using 10-40 eV 28 Si + and 30 Si + ions at deposition temperatures in the range 623-823 K. These experiments confirmed the role of key experimental parameters such as ion energy, substrate temperature during deposition, and the surface treatment prior to deposition. It was found that a high temperature in situ anneal (1350-1450 K) gave the best results for epitaxial nucleation, whereas low energy (20-40 eV) Cl + ion bombardment resulted in amorphous film growth. The deposition energy for good epitaxial growth indicates that it is necessary to provide enough energy to induce local mobility but not to cause atomic displacements leading to the buildup of stable defects, e.g. divacancies, below the surface layer of the growing film. (orig.)

Growth of epitaxial Pt thin films on (0 0 1) SrTiO{sub 3} by rf magnetron sputtering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kahsay, A. [Departament de Física Aplicada i Òptica, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Polo, M.C., E-mail: mcpolo@ub.edu [Departament de Física Aplicada i Òptica, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Ferrater, C.; Ventura, J. [Departament de Física Aplicada i Òptica, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Rebled, J.M. [Departament d’Electrònica, Universitat de Barcelona Institut de Nanociència i Nanotecnologia IN 2UB, 08028 Barcelona (Spain); Varela, M. [Departament de Física Aplicada i Òptica, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona (Spain)

2014-07-01

The growth of platinum thin film by rf magnetron sputtering on SrTiO{sub 3}(0 0 1) substrates for oxide based devices was investigated. Platinum films grown at temperatures higher than 750 °C were epitaxial ([1 0 0]Pt(0 0 1)//[1 0 0]STO(0 0 1)), whereas at lower temperatures Pt(1 1 1) films were obtained. The surface morphology of the Pt films showed a strong dependence on the deposition temperature as was revealed by atomic force microscopy (AFM). At elevated temperatures there is a three-dimensional (3D) growth of rectangular atomically flat islands with deep boundaries between them. On the other hand, at low deposition temperatures, a two-dimensional (2D) layered growth was observed. The transition from 2D to 3D growth modes was observed that occurs for temperatures around 450 °C. The obtained epitaxial thin films also formed an atomically sharp interface with the SrTiO{sub 3}(0 0 1) substrate as confirmed by HRTEM.

Optical and electro-optic anisotropy of epitaxial PZT thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Minmin; Du, Zehui; Jing, Lin; Yoong Tok, Alfred Iing; Tong Teo, Edwin Hang

2015-07-01

Strong optical and electro-optic (EO) anisotropy has been investigated in ferroelectric Pb(Zr0.48Ti0.52)O3 thin films epitaxially grown on Nb-SrTiO3 (001), (011), and (111) substrates using magnetron sputtering. The refractive index, electro-optic, and ferroelectric properties of the samples demonstrate the significant dependence on the growth orientation. The linear electro-optic coefficients of the (001), (011), and (111)-oriented PZT thin films were 270.8, 198.8, and 125.7 pm/V, respectively. Such remarkable anisotropic EO behaviors have been explained according to the structure correlation between the orientation dependent distribution, spontaneous polarization, epitaxial strain, and domain pattern.

Molecular beam epitaxy growth of InSb_1-xBi_x thin films

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yuxin Song; Shumin Wang; Saha Roy, Ivy

2013-01-01

Molecular beam epitaxy growth for InSb1-xBix thin films on (100) GaAs substrates is reported. Successful Bi incorporation for 2% is achieved, and up to 70% of the incorporated Bi atoms are at substitutional sites. The effects of growth parameters on Bi incorporation and surface morphology are stu...

Solid phase epitaxial growth of high mobility La:BaSnO_3 thin films co-doped with interstitial hydrogen

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Niedermeier, Christian A.; Rhode, Sneha; Fearn, Sarah; Moram, Michelle A.; Ide, Keisuke; Hiramatsu, Hidenori; Hosono, Hideo; Kamiya, Toshio

2016-01-01

This work presents the solid phase epitaxial growth of high mobility La:BaSnO_3 thin films on SrTiO_3 single crystal substrates by crystallization through thermal annealing of nanocrystalline thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition at room temperature. The La:BaSnO_3 thin films show high epitaxial quality and Hall mobilities up to 26 ± 1 cm"2/Vs. Secondary ion mass spectroscopy is used to determine the La concentration profile in the La:BaSnO_3 thin films, and a 9%–16% La doping activation efficiency is obtained. An investigation of H doping to BaSnO_3 thin films is presented employing H plasma treatment at room temperature. Carrier concentrations in previously insulating BaSnO_3 thin films were increased to 3 × 10"1"9" cm"−"3 and in La:BaSnO_3 thin films from 6 × 10"1"9" cm"−"3 to 1.5 × 10"2"0" cm"−"3, supporting a theoretical prediction that interstitial H serves as an excellent n-type dopant. An analysis of the free electron absorption by infrared spectroscopy yields a small (H,La):BaSnO_3 electron effective mass of 0.27 ± 0.05 m_0 and an optical mobility of 26 ± 7 cm"2/Vs. As compared to La:BaSnO_3 single crystals, the smaller electron mobility in epitaxial thin films grown on SrTiO_3 substrates is ascribed to threading dislocations as observed in high resolution transmission electron micrographs.

General Top-Down Ion Exchange Process for the Growth of Epitaxial Chalcogenide Thin Films and Devices

KAUST Repository

Xia, Chuan; Li, Peng; Li, Jun; Jiang, Qiu; Zhang, Xixiang; Alshareef, Husam N.

2016-01-01

) epitaxial chalcogenide metallic and semiconducting films and (2) free-standing chalcogenide films and (3) completed in situ formation of atomically sharp heterojunctions by selective ion exchange. Epitaxial NiCo2S4 thin films prepared by our process show 115

General Top-Down Ion Exchange Process for the Growth of Epitaxial Chalcogenide Thin Films and Devices

KAUST Repository

Xia, Chuan

2016-12-30

We demonstrate a versatile top-down ion exchange process, done at ambient temperature, to form epitaxial chalcogenide films and devices, with nanometer scale thickness control. To demonstrate the versatility of our process we have synthesized (1) epitaxial chalcogenide metallic and semiconducting films and (2) free-standing chalcogenide films and (3) completed in situ formation of atomically sharp heterojunctions by selective ion exchange. Epitaxial NiCo2S4 thin films prepared by our process show 115 times higher mobility than NiCo2S4 pellets (23 vs 0.2 cm(2) V-1 s(-1)) prepared by previous reports. By controlling the ion exchange process time, we made free-standing epitaxial films of NiCo2S4 and transferred them onto different substrates. We also demonstrate in situ formation of atomically sharp, lateral Schottky diodes based on NiCo2O4/NiCo2S4 heterojunction, using a single ion exchange step. Additionally, we show that our approach can be easily extended to other chalcogenide semiconductors. Specifically, we used our process to prepare Cu1.8S thin films with mobility that matches single crystal Cu1.8S (25 cm(2) V-1 s(-1)), which is ca. 28 times higher than the previously reported Cu1.8S thin film mobility (0.58 cm(2) V-1 s(-1)), thus demonstrating the universal nature of our process. This is the first report in which chalcogenide thin films retain the epitaxial nature of the precursor oxide films, an approach that will be useful in many applications.

Epitaxial growth of YBa2Cu3O7-δ thin films on LiNbO3 substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, S.G.; Koren, G.; Gupta, A.; Segmuller, A.; Chi, C.C.

1989-01-01

In situ epitaxial growth of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ thin films on Y-cut LiNbO 3 substrates using a standard laser ablation technique is reported. Resistance of the films shows a normal metallic behavior and a very sharp ( c (R=0) of 92 K. High critical current density of J c (77 K)=2x10 5 A/cm 2 is observed, which is in accordance with epitaxial growth. Film orientation observed from x-ray diffraction spectra indicates that the c axis is normal to the substrate plane and the a axis is at 45 degree to the [11.0] direction of the hexagonal lattice of the substrate with two domains in mirror image to the (110) plane

Highly Crystalline C8-BTBT Thin-Film Transistors by Lateral Homo-Epitaxial Growth on Printed Templates.

Science.gov (United States)

Janneck, Robby; Pilet, Nicolas; Bommanaboyena, Satya Prakash; Watts, Benjamin; Heremans, Paul; Genoe, Jan; Rolin, Cedric

2017-11-01

Highly crystalline thin films of organic semiconductors offer great potential for fundamental material studies as well as for realizing high-performance, low-cost flexible electronics. The fabrication of these films directly on inert substrates is typically done by meniscus-guided coating techniques. The resulting layers show morphological defects that hinder charge transport and induce large device-to-device variability. Here, a double-step method for organic semiconductor layers combining a solution-processed templating layer and a lateral homo-epitaxial growth by a thermal evaporation step is reported. The epitaxial regrowth repairs most of the morphological defects inherent to meniscus-guided coatings. The resulting film is highly crystalline and features a mobility increased by a factor of three and a relative spread in device characteristics improved by almost half an order of magnitude. This method is easily adaptable to other coating techniques and offers a route toward the fabrication of high-performance, large-area electronics based on highly crystalline thin films of organic semiconductors. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Epitaxial growth and control of the sodium content in Na{sub x}CoO{sub 2} thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hildebrandt, Sandra; Komissinskiy, Philipp [Institute for Materials Science, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany); Major, Marton [Institute for Materials Science, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany); WIGNER RCP, RMKI, H-1525 Budapest, P.O.B. 49 (Hungary); Donner, Wolfgang [Institute for Materials Science, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany); Alff, Lambert, E-mail: alff@oxide.tu-darmstadt.de [Institute for Materials Science, Technische Universität Darmstadt, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany)

2013-10-31

Single-phase c-axis oriented Na{sub x}CoO{sub 2} thin films were grown on (001) SrTiO{sub 3} single-crystal substrates, using pulsed laser deposition. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates the epitaxial growth of Na{sub x}CoO{sub 2} thin films in two domains, rotated in-plane by 15 and 45 degrees relative to [100] SrTiO{sub 3}. The sodium stoichiometry x of the films can be controlled in a range of 0.38 < x < 0.84 by in-situ post-deposition annealing the Na{sub x}CoO{sub 2} films at 720 – 760 °C in oxygen for 10 – 30 min. γ - Na{sub x}CoO{sub 2} films are obtained with a full width at half maximum of the (002) Na{sub x}CoO{sub 2} rocking curve below 0.2 degrees. The post-deposition annealing can substitute commonly used chemical deintercalation of Na which is typically associated with a loss in crystallinity. - Highlights: • Single phase Na{sub x}CoO{sub 2} thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition • Epitaxial relations of Na{sub x}CoO{sub 2} thin films on (001) SrTiO{sub 3} substrates • Multi-domain thin films • Control of sodium content by in-situ annealing of Na{sub x}CoO{sub 2} thin films.

Probing the bulk ionic conductivity by thin film hetero-epitaxial engineering

KAUST Repository

Pergolesi, Daniele

2015-02-01

Highly textured thin films with small grain boundary regions can be used as model systems to directly measure the bulk conductivity of oxygen ion conducting oxides. Ionic conducting thin films and epitaxial heterostructures are also widely used to probe the effect of strain on the oxygen ion migration in oxide materials. For the purpose of these investigations a good lattice matching between the film and the substrate is required to promote the ordered film growth. Moreover, the substrate should be a good electrical insulator at high temperature to allow a reliable electrical characterization of the deposited film. Here we report the fabrication of an epitaxial heterostructure made with a double buffer layer of BaZrO3 and SrTiO3 grown on MgO substrates that fulfills both requirements. Based on such template platform, highly ordered (001) epitaxially oriented thin films of 15% Sm-doped CeO2 and 8 mol% Y2O3 stabilized ZrO2 are grown. Bulk conductivities as well as activation energies are measured for both materials, confirming the success of the approach. The reported insulating template platform promises potential application also for the electrical characterization of other novel electrolyte materials that still need a thorough understanding of their ionic conductivity.

Laser molecular beam epitaxy of ZnO thin films and heterostructures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Opel, Matthias; Geprägs, Stephan; Althammer, Matthias; Brenninger, Thomas; Gross, Rudolf

2014-01-01

We report on the growth of epitaxial ZnO thin films and ZnO-based heterostructures on sapphire substrates by laser molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). We first discuss some recent developments in laser-MBE such as flexible ultraviolet laser beam optics, infrared laser heating systems or the use of atomic oxygen and nitrogen sources, and describe the technical realization of our advanced laser-MBE system. Then we describe the optimization of the deposition parameters for ZnO films such as laser fluence and substrate temperature and the use of buffer layers. The detailed structural characterization by x-ray analysis and transmission electron microscopy shows that epitaxial ZnO thin films with high structural quality can be achieved, as demonstrated by a small out-of-plane and in-plane mosaic spread as well as the absence of rotational domains. We also demonstrate the heteroepitaxial growth of ZnO-based multilayers as a prerequisite for spin transport experiments and the realization of spintronic devices. As an example, we show that TiN/Co/ZnO/Ni/Au multilayer stacks can be grown on (0 0 0 1)-oriented sapphire with good structural quality of all layers and well defined in-plane epitaxial relations. (paper)

Non-Epitaxial Thin-Film Indium Phosphide Photovoltaics: Growth, Devices, and Cost Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Zheng, Maxwell S.

In recent years, the photovoltaic market has grown significantly as module prices have continued to come down. Continued growth of the field requires higher efficiency modules at lower manufacturing costs. In particular, higher efficiencies reduce the area needed for a given power output, thus reducing the downstream balance of systems costs that scale with area such as mounting frames, installation, and soft costs. Cells and modules made from III-V materials have the highest demonstrated efficiencies to date but are not yet at the cost level of other thin film technologies, which has limited their large-scale deployment. There is a need for new materials growth, processing and fabrication techniques to address this major shortcoming of III-V semiconductors. Chapters 2 and 3 explore growth of InP on non-epitaxial Mo substrates by MOCVD and CSS, respectively. The results from these studies demonstrate that InP optoelectronic quality is maintained even by growth on non-epitaxial metal substrates. Structural characterization by SEM and XRD show stoichiometric InP can be grown in complete thin films on Mo. Photoluminescence measurements show peak energies and widths to be similar to those of reference wafers of similar doping concentrations. In chapter 4 the TF-VLS growth technique is introduced and cells fabricated from InP produced by this technique are characterized. The TF-VLS method results in lateral grain sizes of >500 mum and exhibits superior optoelectronic quality. First generation devices using a n-TiO2 window layer along with p-type TF-VLS grown InP have reached ˜12.1% power conversion efficiency under 1 sun illumination with VOC of 692 mV, JSC of 26.9 mA/cm2, and FF of 65%. The cells are fabricated using all non-epitaxial processing. Optical measurements show the InP in these cells have the potential to support a higher VOC of ˜795 mV, which can be achieved by improved device design. Chapter 5 describes a cost analysis of a manufacturing process using an

High quality atomically thin PtSe2 films grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Mingzhe; Wang, Eryin; Zhou, Xue; Zhang, Guangqi; Zhang, Hongyun; Zhang, Kenan; Yao, Wei; Lu, Nianpeng; Yang, Shuzhen; Wu, Shilong; Yoshikawa, Tomoki; Miyamoto, Koji; Okuda, Taichi; Wu, Yang; Yu, Pu; Duan, Wenhui; Zhou, Shuyun

2017-12-01

Atomically thin PtSe2 films have attracted extensive research interests for potential applications in high-speed electronics, spintronics and photodetectors. Obtaining high quality thin films with large size and controlled thickness is critical. Here we report the first successful epitaxial growth of high quality PtSe2 films by molecular beam epitaxy. Atomically thin films from 1 ML to 22 ML have been grown and characterized by low-energy electron diffraction, Raman spectroscopy and x-ray photoemission spectroscopy. Moreover, a systematic thickness dependent study of the electronic structure is revealed by angle-resolved photoemission spectroscopy (ARPES), and helical spin texture is revealed by spin-ARPES. Our work provides new opportunities for growing large size single crystalline films to investigate the physical properties and potential applications of PtSe2.

Adsorption-controlled growth of BiMnO3 films by molecular-beam epitaxy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, J. H.; Ke, X.; Misra, R.; Schiffer, P.; Ihlefeld, J. F.; Mei, Z. G.; Liu, Z. K.; Xu, X. S.; Musfeldt, J. L.; Heeg, T.; Schlom, D. G.; Roeckerath, M.; Schubert, J.

2010-01-01

We have developed the means to grow BiMnO 3 thin films with unparalleled structural perfection by reactive molecular-beam epitaxy and determined its band gap. Film growth occurs in an adsorption-controlled growth regime. Within this growth window bounded by oxygen pressure and substrate temperature at a fixed bismuth overpressure, single-phase films of the metastable perovskite BiMnO 3 may be grown by epitaxial stabilization. X-ray diffraction reveals phase-pure and epitaxial films with ω rocking curve full width at half maximum values as narrow as 11 arc sec (0.003 deg. ). Optical absorption measurements reveal that BiMnO 3 has a direct band gap of 1.1±0.1 eV.

Growth and characterization of III-N ternary thin films by plasma assisted atomic layer epitaxy at low temperatures

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nepal, Neeraj; Anderson, Virginia R.; Hite, Jennifer K.; Eddy, Charles R.

2015-08-31

We report the growth and characterization of III-nitride ternary thin films (Al{sub x}Ga{sub 1−x}N, In{sub x}Al{sub 1−x}N and In{sub x}Ga{sub 1−x}N) at ≤ 500 °C by plasma assisted atomic layer epitaxy (PA-ALE) over a wide stoichiometric range including the range where phase separation has been an issue for films grown by molecular beam epitaxy and metal organic chemical vapor deposition. The composition of these ternaries was intentionally varied through alterations in the cycle ratios of the III-nitride binary layers (AlN, GaN, and InN). By this digital alloy growth method, we are able to grow III-nitride ternaries by PA-ALE over nearly the entire stoichiometry range including in the spinodal decomposition region (x = 15–85%). These early efforts suggest great promise of PA-ALE at low temperatures for addressing miscibility gap challenges encountered with conventional growth methods and realizing high performance optoelectronic and electronic devices involving ternary/binary heterojunctions, which are not currently possible. - Highlights: • III-N ternaries grown at ≤ 500 °C by plasma assisted atomic layer epitaxy • Growth of InGaN and AlInN in the spinodal decomposition region (15–85%) • Epitaxial, smooth and uniform III-N film growth at low temperatures.

Growth and characterization of III-N ternary thin films by plasma assisted atomic layer epitaxy at low temperatures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nepal, Neeraj; Anderson, Virginia R.; Hite, Jennifer K.; Eddy, Charles R.

2015-01-01

We report the growth and characterization of III-nitride ternary thin films (Al x Ga 1−x N, In x Al 1−x N and In x Ga 1−x N) at ≤ 500 °C by plasma assisted atomic layer epitaxy (PA-ALE) over a wide stoichiometric range including the range where phase separation has been an issue for films grown by molecular beam epitaxy and metal organic chemical vapor deposition. The composition of these ternaries was intentionally varied through alterations in the cycle ratios of the III-nitride binary layers (AlN, GaN, and InN). By this digital alloy growth method, we are able to grow III-nitride ternaries by PA-ALE over nearly the entire stoichiometry range including in the spinodal decomposition region (x = 15–85%). These early efforts suggest great promise of PA-ALE at low temperatures for addressing miscibility gap challenges encountered with conventional growth methods and realizing high performance optoelectronic and electronic devices involving ternary/binary heterojunctions, which are not currently possible. - Highlights: • III-N ternaries grown at ≤ 500 °C by plasma assisted atomic layer epitaxy • Growth of InGaN and AlInN in the spinodal decomposition region (15–85%) • Epitaxial, smooth and uniform III-N film growth at low temperatures

Epitaxial growth of "infinite layer” thin films and multilayers by rf magnetron sputtering

OpenAIRE

Fàbrega, L.; Koller, E.; Triscone, J. M.; Fischer, Ø.

2017-01-01

We report on the preparation and characterization of epitaxial ACuO2 (A = Sr, Ca, Ba) thin films and multilayers with the so- called infinite layer (IL) structure, by rf magnetron sputtering. Films and multilayers without Ba have a remarkable crystal quality, whereas those containing this large ion are often multiphased and unstable. In spite of the excellent crystalline quality of these samples, obtaining thin films having both IL structure and displaying superconducting properties has not s...

Epitaxial growth and magnetic properties of ultraviolet transparent Ga2O3/(Ga1-xFex)2O3 multilayer thin films.

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Daoyou; An, Yuehua; Cui, Wei; Zhi, Yusong; Zhao, Xiaolong; Lei, Ming; Li, Linghong; Li, Peigang; Wu, Zhenping; Tang, Weihua

2016-04-28

Multilayer thin films based on the ferromagnetic and ultraviolet transparent semiconductors may be interesting because their magnetic/electronic/photonic properties can be manipulated by the high energy photons. Herein, the Ga2O3/(Ga1-xFex)2O3 multilayer epitaxial thin films were obtained by alternating depositing of wide band gap Ga2O3 layer and Fe ultrathin layer due to inter diffusion between two layers at high temperature using the laser molecular beam epitaxy technique. The multilayer films exhibits a preferred growth orientation of crystal plane, and the crystal lattice expands as Fe replaces Ga site. Fe ions with a mixed valence of Fe(2+) and Fe(3+) are stratified distributed in the film and exhibit obvious agglomerated areas. The multilayer films only show a sharp absorption edge at about 250 nm, indicating a high transparency for ultraviolet light. What's more, the Ga2O3/(Ga1-xFex)2O3 multilayer epitaxial thin films also exhibits room temperature ferromagnetism deriving from the Fe doping Ga2O3.

Epitaxial patterning of thin-films: conventional lithographies and beyond

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Wei; Krishnan, Kannan M

2014-01-01

Thin-film based novel magnetic and electronic devices have entered a new era in which the film crystallography, structural coherence, and epitaxy play important roles in determining their functional properties. The capabilities of controlling such structural and functional properties are being continuously developed by various physical deposition technologies. Epitaxial patterning strategies further allow the miniaturization of such novel devices, which incorporates thin-film components into nanoscale architectures while keeping their functional properties unmodified from their ideal single-crystal values. In the past decade, epitaxial patterning methods on the laboratory scale have been reported to meet distinct scientific inquires, in which the techniques and processes used differ from one to the other. In this review we summarize many of these pioneering endeavors in epitaxial patterning of thin-film devices that use both conventional and novel lithography techniques. These methods demonstrate epitaxial patterning for a broad range of materials (metals, oxides, and semiconductors) and cover common device length scales from micrometer to sub-hundred nanometer. Whilst we have been motivated by magnetic materials and devices, we present our outlook on developing systematic-strategies for epitaxial patterning of functional materials which will pave the road for the design, discovery and industrialization of next-generation advanced magnetic and electronic nano-devices. (topical review)

Thin film growth of CaFe2As2 by molecular beam epitaxy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hatano, T; Fujimoto, R; Nakamura, I; Mori, Y; Ikuta, H; Kawaguchi, T; Harada, S; Ujihara, T

2016-01-01

Film growth of CaFe 2 As 2 was realized by molecular beam epitaxy on six different substrates that have a wide variation in the lattice mismatch to the target compound. By carefully adjusting the Ca-to-Fe flux ratio, we obtained single-phase thin films for most of the substrates. Interestingly, an expansion of the CaFe 2 As 2 lattice to the out-of-plane direction was observed for all films, even when an opposite strain was expected. A detailed microstructure observation of the thin film grown on MgO by transmission electron microscope revealed that it consists of cube-on-cube and 45°-rotated domains. The latter domains were compressively strained in plane, which caused a stretching along the c-axis direction. Because the domains were well connected across the boundary with no appreciable discontinuity, we think that the out-of-plane expansion in the 45°-rotated domains exerted a tensile stress on the other domains, resulting in the unexpectedly large c-axis lattice parameter, despite the apparently opposite lattice mismatch. (paper)

Thin film growth of CaFe2As2 by molecular beam epitaxy

Science.gov (United States)

Hatano, T.; Kawaguchi, T.; Fujimoto, R.; Nakamura, I.; Mori, Y.; Harada, S.; Ujihara, T.; Ikuta, H.

2016-01-01

Film growth of CaFe2As2 was realized by molecular beam epitaxy on six different substrates that have a wide variation in the lattice mismatch to the target compound. By carefully adjusting the Ca-to-Fe flux ratio, we obtained single-phase thin films for most of the substrates. Interestingly, an expansion of the CaFe2As2 lattice to the out-of-plane direction was observed for all films, even when an opposite strain was expected. A detailed microstructure observation of the thin film grown on MgO by transmission electron microscope revealed that it consists of cube-on-cube and 45°-rotated domains. The latter domains were compressively strained in plane, which caused a stretching along the c-axis direction. Because the domains were well connected across the boundary with no appreciable discontinuity, we think that the out-of-plane expansion in the 45°-rotated domains exerted a tensile stress on the other domains, resulting in the unexpectedly large c-axis lattice parameter, despite the apparently opposite lattice mismatch.

Buffer-layer enhanced crystal growth of BaB6 (1 0 0) thin films on MgO (1 0 0) substrates by laser molecular beam epitaxy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kato, Yushi; Yamauchi, Ryosuke; Arai, Hideki; Tan, Geng; Tsuchimine, Nobuo; Kobayashi, Susumu; Saeki, Kazuhiko; Takezawa, Nobutaka; Mitsuhashi, Masahiko; Kaneko, Satoru; Yoshimoto, Mamoru

2012-01-01

Crystalline BaB 6 (1 0 0) thin films can be fabricated on MgO (1 0 0) substrates by inserting a 2-3 nm-thick epitaxial SrB 6 (1 0 0) buffer layer by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) in ultra-high vacuum (i.e., laser molecular beam epitaxy). Reflection high-energy electron diffraction and X-ray diffraction measurements indicated the heteroepitaxial structure of BaB 6 (1 0 0)/SrB 6 (1 0 0)/MgO (1 0 0) with the single domain of the epitaxial relationship. Conversely, BaB 6 thin films without the buffer layer were not epitaxial instead they developed as polycrystalline films with a random in-plane configuration and some impurity phases. As a result, the buffer layer is considered to greatly affect the initial growth of epitaxial BaB 6 thin films; therefore, in this study, buffering effects have been discussed. From the conventional four-probe measurement, it was observed that BaB 6 epitaxial thin films exhibit n-type semiconducting behavior with a resistivity of 2.90 × 10 -1 Ω cm at room temperature.

Epitaxial growth and characterization of CoO/Fe(001) thin film layered structures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brambilla, A.; Sessi, P.; Cantoni, M.; Duo, L.; Finazzi, M.; Ciccacci, F.

2008-01-01

By means of X-ray photoemission spectroscopy and low energy electron diffraction, we show that it is possible to grow good quality thin epitaxial CoO films on Fe(001) substrates, through deposition in oxygen atmosphere. In particular, the composition and the structure of CoO(001)/Fe(001) bilayer systems and Fe(001)/CoO(001)/Fe(001) trilayer systems have been investigated by monitoring the evolution of the chemical interactions at the interfaces as a function of CoO thickness and growth temperature. We observe the presence of Fe oxides at the CoO/Fe interface and of a thin layer of metallic cobalt at the upper Fe/CoO interface of trilayer systems

Epitaxial growth of fcc-CoxNi100-x thin films on MgO(110) single-crystal substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohtake, Mitsuru; Nukaga, Yuri; Sato, Yoichi; Futamoto, Masaaki; Kirino, Fumiyoshi

2009-01-01

Co x Ni 100-x (x=100, 80, 20, 0 at. %) epitaxial thin films were prepared on MgO(110) single-crystal substrates heated at 300 deg. C by ultrahigh vacuum molecular beam epitaxy. The growth mechanism is discussed based on lattice strain and crystallographic defects. CoNi(110) single-crystal films with a fcc structure are obtained for all compositions. Co x Ni 100-x film growth follows the Volmer-Weber mode. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that the out-of-plane and the in-plane lattice spacings of the Co x Ni 100-x films are in agreement within ±0.5% with the values of the respective bulk Co x Ni 100-x crystals, suggesting that the strain in the film is very small. High-resolution cross-sectional transmission microscopy shows that an atomically sharp boundary is formed between a Co(110) fcc film and a MgO(110) substrate, where periodical misfit dislocations are preferentially introduced in the film at the Co/MgO interface. The presence of such periodical misfit dislocations relieves the strain caused by the lattice mismatch between the film and the substrate.

Epitaxial growth of SrTiO3 thin film on Si by laser molecular beam epitaxy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou, X. Y.; Miao, J.; Dai, J. Y.; Chan, H. L. W.; Choy, C. L.; Wang, Y.; Li, Q.

2007-01-01

SrTiO 3 thin films have been deposited on Si (001) wafers by laser molecular beam epitaxy using an ultrathin Sr layer as the template. X-ray diffraction measurements indicated that SrTiO 3 was well crystallized and epitaxially aligned with Si. Cross-sectional observations in a transmission electron microscope revealed that the SrTiO 3 /Si interface was sharp, smooth, and fully crystallized. The thickness of the Sr template was found to be a critical factor that influenced the quality of SrTiO 3 and the interfacial structure. Electrical measurements revealed that the SrTiO 3 film was highly resistive

The origin of local strain in highly epitaxial oxide thin films.

Science.gov (United States)

Ma, Chunrui; Liu, Ming; Chen, Chonglin; Lin, Yuan; Li, Yanrong; Horwitz, J S; Jiang, Jiechao; Meletis, E I; Zhang, Qingyu

2013-10-31

The ability to control the microstructures and physical properties of hetero-epitaxial functional oxide thin films and artificial structures is a long-sought goal in functional materials research. Normally, only the lattice misfit between the film and the substrate is considered to govern the physical properties of the epitaxial films. In fact, the mismatch of film unit cell arrangement and the Surface-Step-Terrace (SST) dimension of the substrate, named as "SST residual matching", is another key factor that significantly influence the properties of the epitaxial film. The nature of strong local strain induced from both lattice mismatch and the SST residual matching on ferroelectric (Ba,Sr)TiO3 and ferromagnetic (La,Ca)MnO3 thin films are systematically investigated and it is demonstrated that this combined effect has a dramatic impact on the physical properties of highly epitaxial oxide thin films. A giant anomalous magnetoresistance effect (~10(10)) was achieved from the as-designed vicinal surfaces.

Epitaxial growth and magnetic properties of ultraviolet transparent Ga2O3/(Ga1−xFex)2O3 multilayer thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Guo, Daoyou; An, Yuehua; Cui, Wei; Zhi, Yusong; Zhao, Xiaolong; Lei, Ming; Li, Linghong; Li, Peigang; Wu, Zhenping; Tang, Weihua

2016-01-01

Multilayer thin films based on the ferromagnetic and ultraviolet transparent semiconductors may be interesting because their magnetic/electronic/photonic properties can be manipulated by the high energy photons. Herein, the Ga2O3/(Ga1−xFex)2O3 multilayer epitaxial thin films were obtained by alternating depositing of wide band gap Ga2O3 layer and Fe ultrathin layer due to inter diffusion between two layers at high temperature using the laser molecular beam epitaxy technique. The multilayer films exhibits a preferred growth orientation of crystal plane, and the crystal lattice expands as Fe replaces Ga site. Fe ions with a mixed valence of Fe2+ and Fe3+ are stratified distributed in the film and exhibit obvious agglomerated areas. The multilayer films only show a sharp absorption edge at about 250 nm, indicating a high transparency for ultraviolet light. What’s more, the Ga2O3/(Ga1−xFex)2O3 multilayer epitaxial thin films also exhibits room temperature ferromagnetism deriving from the Fe doping Ga2O3. PMID:27121446

Chemically stabilized epitaxial wurtzite-BN thin film

Science.gov (United States)

Vishal, Badri; Singh, Rajendra; Chaturvedi, Abhishek; Sharma, Ankit; Sreedhara, M. B.; Sahu, Rajib; Bhat, Usha; Ramamurty, Upadrasta; Datta, Ranjan

2018-03-01

We report on the chemically stabilized epitaxial w-BN thin film grown on c-plane sapphire by pulsed laser deposition under slow kinetic condition. Traces of no other allotropes such as cubic (c) or hexagonal (h) BN phases are present. Sapphire substrate plays a significant role in stabilizing the metastable w-BN from h-BN target under unusual PLD growth condition involving low temperature and pressure and is explained based on density functional theory calculation. The hardness and the elastic modulus of the w-BN film are 37 & 339 GPa, respectively measured by indentation along direction. The results are extremely promising in advancing the microelectronic and mechanical tooling industry.

Growth and characterization of β-Ga2O3 thin films by molecular beam epitaxy for deep-UV photodetectors

Science.gov (United States)

Ghose, Susmita; Rahman, Shafiqur; Hong, Liang; Rojas-Ramirez, Juan Salvador; Jin, Hanbyul; Park, Kibog; Klie, Robert; Droopad, Ravi

2017-09-01

The growth of high quality epitaxial beta-gallium oxide (β-Ga2O3) using a compound source by molecular beam epitaxy has been demonstrated on c-plane sapphire (Al2O3) substrates. The compound source provides oxidized gallium molecules in addition to oxygen when heated from an iridium crucible in a high temperature effusion cell enabling a lower heat of formation for the growth of Ga2O3, resulting in a more efficient growth process. This source also enabled the growth of crystalline β-Ga2O3 without the need for additional oxygen. The influence of the substrate temperatures on the crystal structure and quality, chemical bonding, surface morphology, and optical properties has been systematically evaluated by x-ray diffraction, scanning transmission electron microscopy, x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, atomic force microscopy, spectroscopic ellipsometry, and UV-vis spectroscopy. Under optimized growth conditions, all films exhibited pure (" separators="|2 ¯01 ) oriented β-Ga2O3 thin films with six-fold rotational symmetry when grown on a sapphire substrate. The thin films demonstrated significant absorption in the deep-ultraviolet (UV) region with an optical bandgap around 5.0 eV and a refractive index of 1.9. A deep-UV photodetector fabricated on the high quality β-Ga2O3 thin film exhibits high resistance and small dark current (4.25 nA) with expected photoresponse for 254 nm UV light irradiation suggesting that the material grown using the compound source is a potential candidate for deep-ultraviolet photodetectors.

From epitaxial growth of ferrite thin films to spin-polarized tunnelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moussy, Jean-Baptiste

2013-01-01

This paper presents a review of the research which is focused on ferrite thin films for spintronics. First, I will describe the potential of ferrite layers for the generation of spin-polarized currents. In the second step, the structural and chemical properties of epitaxial thin films and ferrite-based tunnel junctions will be presented. Particular attention will be given to ferrite systems grown by oxygen-assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The analysis of the structure and chemistry close to the interfaces, a key-point for understanding the spin-polarized tunnelling measurements, will be detailed. In the third part, the magnetic and magneto-transport properties of magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ) thin films as a function of structural defects such as the antiphase boundaries will be explained. The spin-polarization measurements (spin-resolved photoemission, tunnel magnetoresistance) on this oxide predicted to be half-metallic will be discussed. Fourth, the potential of magnetic tunnel barriers, such as CoFe 2 O 4 , NiFe 2 O 4 or MnFe 2 O 4 , whose insulating behaviour and the high Curie temperatures make it exciting candidates for spin filtering at room temperature will be described. Spin-polarized tunnelling experiments, involving either Meservey–Tedrow or tunnel magnetoresistance measurements, will reveal significant spin-polarizations of the tunnelling current at low temperatures but also at room temperatures. Finally, I will mention a few perspectives with ferrite-based heterostructures. (topical review)

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

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohtake, Mitsuru; Nishiyama, Tsutomu; Shikada, Kouhei; Kirino, Fumiyoshi; Futamoto, Masaaki

2010-01-01

Fe x Co 100-x (x=100, 65, 50 at%) epitaxial thin films were prepared on MgO(1 1 0) single-crystal substrates heated at 300 deg. 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 deg. each other for all compositions. Fe x Co 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 x Co 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 Fe 50 Co 50 /MgO interface along the MgO[1 1-bar 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-bar 0] direction.

Thin film evolution equations from (evaporating) dewetting liquid layers to epitaxial growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thiele, U

2010-01-01

In the present contribution we review basic mathematical results for three physical systems involving self-organizing solid or liquid films at solid surfaces. The films may undergo a structuring process by dewetting, evaporation/condensation or epitaxial growth, respectively. We highlight similarities and differences of the three systems based on the observation that in certain limits all of them may be described using models of similar form, i.e. time evolution equations for the film thickness profile. Those equations represent gradient dynamics characterized by mobility functions and an underlying energy functional. Two basic steps of mathematical analysis are used to compare the different systems. First, we discuss the linear stability of homogeneous steady states, i.e. flat films, and second the systematics of non-trivial steady states, i.e. drop/hole states for dewetting films and quantum-dot states in epitaxial growth, respectively. Our aim is to illustrate that the underlying solution structure might be very complex as in the case of epitaxial growth but can be better understood when comparing the much simpler results for the dewetting liquid film. We furthermore show that the numerical continuation techniques employed can shed some light on this structure in a more convenient way than time-stepping methods. Finally we discuss that the usage of the employed general formulation does not only relate seemingly unrelated physical systems mathematically, but does allow as well for discussing model extensions in a more unified way.

Ambiguous Role of Growth-Induced Defects on the Semiconductor-to-Metal Characteristics in Epitaxial VO2/TiO2 Thin Films.

Science.gov (United States)

Mihailescu, Cristian N; Symeou, Elli; Svoukis, Efthymios; Negrea, Raluca F; Ghica, Corneliu; Teodorescu, Valentin; Tanase, Liviu C; Negrila, Catalin; Giapintzakis, John

2018-04-25

Controlling the semiconductor-to-metal transition temperature in epitaxial VO 2 thin films remains an unresolved question both at the fundamental as well as the application level. Within the scope of this work, the effects of growth temperature on the structure, chemical composition, interface coherency and electrical characteristics of rutile VO 2 epitaxial thin films grown on TiO 2 substrates are investigated. It is hereby deduced that the transition temperature is lower than the bulk value of 340 K. However, it is found to approach this value as a function of increased growth temperature even though it is accompanied by a contraction along the V 4+ -V 4+ bond direction, the crystallographic c-axis lattice parameter. Additionally, it is demonstrated that films grown at low substrate temperatures exhibit a relaxed state and a strongly reduced transition temperature. It is suggested that, besides thermal and epitaxial strain, growth-induced defects may strongly affect the electronic phase transition. The results of this work reveal the difficulty in extracting the intrinsic material response to strain, when the exact contribution of all strain sources cannot be effectively determined. The findings also bear implications on the limitations in obtaining the recently predicted novel semi-Dirac point phase in VO 2 /TiO 2 multilayer structures.

Microstructure and magnetic properties of FeCo epitaxial thin films grown on MgO single-crystal substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shikada, Kouhei; Ohtake, Mitsuru; Futamoto, Masaaki; Kirino, Fumiyoshi

2009-01-01

FeCo epitaxial films were prepared on MgO(100), MgO(110), and MgO(111) substrates by ultrahigh vacuum molecular beam epitaxy. FeCo thin films with (100), (211), and (110) planes parallel to the substrate surface grow on respective MgO substrates. FeCo/MgO interface structures are studied by high-resolution cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy and the epitaxial growth mechanism is discussed. Atomically sharp boundaries are recognized between the FeCo thin films and the MgO substrates where misfit dislocations are introduced in the FeCo thin films presumably to decrease the lattice misfits. Misfit dislocations are observed approximately every 9 and 1.4 nm in FeCo thin film at the FeCo/MgO(100) and the FeCo/MgO(110) interfaces, respectively. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that the lattice spacing measured parallel to the single-crystal substrate surfaces are in agreement within 0.1% with those of the respective bulk values of Fe 50 Co 50 alloy crystal, showing that the FeCo film strain is very small. The magnetic anisotropies of these epitaxial films basically reflect the magnetocrystalline anisotropy of bulk FeCo alloy crystal

Structural characterization of epitaxial LiFe_5O_8 thin films grown by chemical vapor deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loukya, B.; Negi, D.S.; Sahu, R.; Pachauri, N.; Gupta, A.; Datta, R.

2016-01-01

We report on detailed microstructural and atomic ordering characterization by transmission electron microscopy in epitaxial LiFe_5O_8 (LFO) thin films grown by chemical vapor deposition (CVD) on MgO (001) substrates. The experimental results of LFO thin films are compared with those for bulk LFO single crystal. Electron diffraction studies indicate weak long-range ordering in LFO (α-phase) thin films in comparison to bulk crystal where strong ordering is observed in optimally annealed samples. The degree of long-range ordering depends on the growth conditions and the thickness of the film. Annealing experiment along with diffraction study confirms the formation of α-Fe_2O_3 phase in some regions of the films. This suggests that under certain growth conditions γ-Fe_2O_3-like phase forms in some pockets in the as-grown LFO thin films that then convert to α-Fe_2O_3 on annealing. - Highlights: • Atomic ordering in LiFe_5O_8 bulk single crystal and epitaxial thin films. • Electron diffraction studies reveal different level of ordering in the system. • Formation of γ-Fe_2O_3 like phase has been observed.

Microstructure of epitaxial YBa2Cu3O7-x thin films grown on LaAlO3 (001)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hsieh, Y.; Siegal, M.P.; Hull, R.; Phillips, J.M.

1990-01-01

We report a microstructural investigation of the epitaxial growth of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-x (YBCO) thin films on LaAlO 3 (001) substrates using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). Epitaxial films grow with two distinct modes: c epitaxy (YBCO) single crystal with the c (axis normal to the surface and a epitaxy (YBCO) single crystal with the c axis in the interfacial plane), where c epitaxy is the dominant mode grown in all samples 35--200 nm thick. In 35 nm YBCO films annealed at 850 degree C, 97±1% of the surface area is covered by c epitaxy with embedded anisotropic a-epitaxial grains. Quantitative analysis reveals the effect of film thickness and annealing temperature on the density, grain sizes, areal coverages, and anisotropic growth of a epitaxy

Ion Beam Assisted Deposition of Thin Epitaxial GaN Films.

Science.gov (United States)

Rauschenbach, Bernd; Lotnyk, Andriy; Neumann, Lena; Poppitz, David; Gerlach, Jürgen W

2017-06-23

The assistance of thin film deposition with low-energy ion bombardment influences their final properties significantly. Especially, the application of so-called hyperthermal ions (energy GaN thin films on (0001)-oriented 6H-SiC substrates at 700 °C. The films are studied in situ by reflection high energy electron diffraction, ex situ by X-ray diffraction, scanning tunnelling microscopy, and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. It is demonstrated that the film growth mode can be controlled by varying the ion to atom ratio, where 2D films are characterized by a smooth topography, a high crystalline quality, low biaxial stress, and low defect density. Typical structural defects in the GaN thin films were identified as basal plane stacking faults, low-angle grain boundaries forming between w-GaN and z-GaN and twin boundaries. The misfit strain between the GaN thin films and substrates is relieved by the generation of edge dislocations in the first and second monolayers of GaN thin films and of misfit interfacial dislocations. It can be demonstrated that the low-energy nitrogen ion assisted molecular beam epitaxy is a technique to produce thin GaN films of high crystalline quality.

Anatase thin film with diverse epitaxial relationship grown on yttrium stabilized zirconia substrate by chemical vapor deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Miyagi, Takahira; Ogawa, Tomoyuki; Kamei, Masayuki; Wada, Yoshiki; Mitsuhashi, Takefumi; Yamazaki, Atsushi

2003-01-01

An anatase epitaxial thin film with diverse epitaxial relationship, YSZ (001) // anatase (001), YSZ (010) // anatase (110), was grown on a single crystalline yttrium stabilized zirconia (YSZ) (001) substrate by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD). The full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the (004) reflection of this anatase epitaxial film was 0.4deg, and the photoluminescence of this anatase epitaxial film showed visible emission with broad spectral width and large Stokes shift at room temperature. These results indicate that this anatase epitaxial film possessed almost equal crystalline quality compared with that grown under identical growth conditions on single crystalline SrTiO 3 substrate. (author)

Epitaxial Growth of Permalloy Thin Films on MgO Single-Crystal Substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohtake, Mitsuru; Tanaka, Takahiro; Matsubara, Katsuki; Futamoto, Masaaki; Kirino, Fumiyoshi

2011-01-01

Permalloy (Py: Ni - 20 at. % Fe) thin films were prepared on MgO single-crystal substrates of (100), (110), and (111) orientations by molecular beam epitaxy. Py crystals consisting of fcc(100) and hcp(112-bar 0) orientations epitaxially nucleate on MgO(100) substrates. With increasing the substrate temperature, the volume ratio of fcc(100) to hcp(112-bar 0) crystal increases. The metastable hcp(112-bar 0) structure transforms into more stable fcc(110) structure with increasing the film thickness. Py(110) fcc single-crystal films are obtained on MgO(110) substrates, whereas Py films epitaxially grow on MgO(111) substrates with two types of fcc(111) variants whose orientations are rotated around the film normal by 180 deg. each other. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that the out-of-plane and the in-plane lattice spacings of these fcc-Py films agree within ±0.4% with the values of bulk fcc-Py crystal, suggesting that the strains in the films are very small. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy shows that periodical misfit dislocations are preferentially introduced in the films around the Py/MgO(100) and the Py/MgO(110) interfaces to reduce the lattice mismatches. The magnetic properties are considered to be reflecting the magnetocrystalline anisotropies of bulk fcc-Py and/or metastable hcp-Py crystals and the shape anisotropy caused by the surface undulations.

Epitaxial Growth of Permalloy Thin Films on MgO Single-Crystal Substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ohtake, Mitsuru; Tanaka, Takahiro; Matsubara, Katsuki; Futamoto, Masaaki [Faculty of Science and Engineering, Chuo University, 1-13-27 Kasuga, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8551 (Japan); Kirino, Fumiyoshi, E-mail: ohtake@futamoto.elect.chuo-u.ac.jp [Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, 12-8 Ueno-koen, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-8714 (Japan)

2011-07-06

Permalloy (Py: Ni - 20 at. % Fe) thin films were prepared on MgO single-crystal substrates of (100), (110), and (111) orientations by molecular beam epitaxy. Py crystals consisting of fcc(100) and hcp(112-bar 0) orientations epitaxially nucleate on MgO(100) substrates. With increasing the substrate temperature, the volume ratio of fcc(100) to hcp(112-bar 0) crystal increases. The metastable hcp(112-bar 0) structure transforms into more stable fcc(110) structure with increasing the film thickness. Py(110){sub fcc} single-crystal films are obtained on MgO(110) substrates, whereas Py films epitaxially grow on MgO(111) substrates with two types of fcc(111) variants whose orientations are rotated around the film normal by 180 deg. each other. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that the out-of-plane and the in-plane lattice spacings of these fcc-Py films agree within {+-}0.4% with the values of bulk fcc-Py crystal, suggesting that the strains in the films are very small. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy shows that periodical misfit dislocations are preferentially introduced in the films around the Py/MgO(100) and the Py/MgO(110) interfaces to reduce the lattice mismatches. The magnetic properties are considered to be reflecting the magnetocrystalline anisotropies of bulk fcc-Py and/or metastable hcp-Py crystals and the shape anisotropy caused by the surface undulations.

Epitaxial growth of silicon for layer transfer

Science.gov (United States)

Teplin, Charles; Branz, Howard M

2015-03-24

Methods of preparing a thin crystalline silicon film for transfer and devices utilizing a transferred crystalline silicon film are disclosed. The methods include preparing a silicon growth substrate which has an interface defining substance associated with an exterior surface. The methods further include depositing an epitaxial layer of silicon on the silicon growth substrate at the surface and separating the epitaxial layer from the substrate substantially along the plane or other surface defined by the interface defining substance. The epitaxial layer may be utilized as a thin film of crystalline silicon in any type of semiconductor device which requires a crystalline silicon layer. In use, the epitaxial transfer layer may be associated with a secondary substrate.

Deposition and characterisation of epitaxial oxide thin films for SOFCs

KAUST Repository

Santiso, José

2010-10-24

This paper reviews the recent advances in the use of thin films, mostly epitaxial, for fundamental studies of materials for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) applications. These studies include the influence of film microstructure, crystal orientation and strain in oxide ionic conducting materials used as electrolytes, such as fluorites, and in mixed ionic and electronic conducting materials used as electrodes, typically oxides with perovskite or perovskite-related layered structures. The recent effort towards the enhancement of the electrochemical performance of SOFC materials through the deposition of artificial film heterostructures is also presented. These thin films have been engineered at a nanoscale level, such as the case of epitaxial multilayers or nanocomposite cermet materials. The recent progress in the implementation of thin films in SOFC devices is also reported. © 2010 Springer-Verlag.

EuO and Gd-doped EuO thin films. Epitaxial growth and properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sutarto, Ronny

2009-01-01

quality of many of the doped EuO samples used in the past bulk studies. The focus of this thesis is on the preparation and the properties of high-quality single-crystalline EuO and Gd-doped EuO thin films. The so-called Eu-distillation-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) has been employed to achieve full control of the stoichiometry. The films have been epitaxially grown on yttria-stabilized cubic zirconia (YSZ) (001) substrates. By a systematic variation of the oxygen deposition rates, we have been able to observe sustained oscillations in the intensity of the reflection high-electron energy diffraction (RHEED) pattern during growth. We thus have demonstrated that layer-by-layer growth has been achieved for the first time. We also have confirmed that YSZ indeed supplies oxygen during the initial stages of growth, yet the EuO stoichiometry can still be well maintained. In the case of Gd-doped EuO films, the presence of Gd even helps to stabilize the layer-by-layer growth mode. It is important to achieve this growth mode, since it enables the preparation of films with very smooth and at surfaces. This in turn facilitates the capping of the films with a thin Al overlayer in order to protect the films against degradation under ambient conditions. More important, the smoothness of the lm will enable the preparation of high quality device structures. By using ex-situ soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) at the Eu and Gd M 4,5 edges, we have confirmed that the films are completely free from Eu 3+ contaminants, and we were able to determine reliably the actual Gd concentration. This actual Gd concentration could in fact significantly deviate from the nominal Gd/Eu evaporation ratio. From magnetization and susceptibility measurements, we found the Curie temperature to increase smoothly as a function of doping from 69 K up to a maximum of 125 K, all with a saturation moment of 7 μB. A threshold behavior was not observed for Gd concentrations as low as 0.2 %. Analysis of the

EuO and Gd-doped EuO thin films. Epitaxial growth and properties

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sutarto, Ronny

2009-07-06

this respect the quality of many of the doped EuO samples used in the past bulk studies. The focus of this thesis is on the preparation and the properties of high-quality single-crystalline EuO and Gd-doped EuO thin films. The so-called Eu-distillation-assisted molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) has been employed to achieve full control of the stoichiometry. The films have been epitaxially grown on yttria-stabilized cubic zirconia (YSZ) (001) substrates. By a systematic variation of the oxygen deposition rates, we have been able to observe sustained oscillations in the intensity of the reflection high-electron energy diffraction (RHEED) pattern during growth. We thus have demonstrated that layer-by-layer growth has been achieved for the first time. We also have confirmed that YSZ indeed supplies oxygen during the initial stages of growth, yet the EuO stoichiometry can still be well maintained. In the case of Gd-doped EuO films, the presence of Gd even helps to stabilize the layer-by-layer growth mode. It is important to achieve this growth mode, since it enables the preparation of films with very smooth and at surfaces. This in turn facilitates the capping of the films with a thin Al overlayer in order to protect the films against degradation under ambient conditions. More important, the smoothness of the lm will enable the preparation of high quality device structures. By using ex-situ soft x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS) at the Eu and Gd M{sub 4,5} edges, we have confirmed that the films are completely free from Eu{sup 3+} contaminants, and we were able to determine reliably the actual Gd concentration. This actual Gd concentration could in fact significantly deviate from the nominal Gd/Eu evaporation ratio. From magnetization and susceptibility measurements, we found the Curie temperature to increase smoothly as a function of doping from 69 K up to a maximum of 125 K, all with a saturation moment of 7 {mu}B. A threshold behavior was not observed for Gd concentrations

Strain-induced properties of epitaxial VOx thin films

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Rata, AD; Hibma, T

We have grown VOx thin films on different substrates in order to investigate the influence of epitaxial strain on the transport properties. We found that the electric conductivity is much larger for films grown under compressive strain on SrTiO3 substrates, as compared to bulk material and VOx films

Growth of CrTe thin films by molecular-beam epitaxy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sreenivasan, M.G.; Hou, X.J.; Teo, K.L.; Jalil, M.B.A.; Liew, T.; Chong, T.C.

2006-01-01

We report the growth of Cr 1-δ Te films on (100) GaAs substrates using ZnTe buffer layers by solid-source molecular-beam epitaxial technique. RHEED patterns indicate a clear structural change during the initial stages of deposition. Temperature-dependent magnetization results reveal that different NiAs-related phases of Cr 1-δ Te can be obtained at different substrate temperatures. By varying the film thickness, a metastable zinc blende structure of CrTe could be obtained at lower substrate temperature

Epitaxial growth of Sb-doped nonpolar a-plane ZnO thin films on r-plane sapphire substrates by RF magnetron sputtering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen, Hou-Guang, E-mail: houguang@isu.edu.tw [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 840, Taiwan (China); Hung, Sung-Po [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, I-Shou University, Kaohsiung 840, Taiwan (China)

2014-02-15

Highlights: ► Sb-doped nonpolar a-plane ZnO layers were epitaxially grown on sapphire substrates. ► Crystallinity and electrical properties were studied upon growth condition and doping concentration. ► The out-of-plane lattice spacing of ZnO films reduces monotonically with increasing Sb doping level. ► The p-type conductivity of ZnO:Sb film is closely correlated with annealing condition and Sb doping level. -- Abstract: In this study, the epitaxial growth of Sb-doped nonpolar a-plane (112{sup ¯}0) ZnO thin films on r-plane (11{sup ¯}02) sapphire substrates was performed by radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. The influence of the sputter deposition conditions and Sb doping concentration on the microstructural and electrical properties of Sb-doped ZnO epitaxial films was investigated using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and the Hall-effect measurement. The measurement of the XRD phi-scan indicated that the epitaxial relationship between the ZnO:Sb layer and sapphire substrate was (112{sup ¯}0){sub ZnO}//(11{sup ¯}02){sub Al{sub 2O{sub 3}}} and [11{sup ¯}00]{sub ZnO}//[112{sup ¯}0]{sub Al{sub 2O{sub 3}}}. The out-of-plane a-axis lattice parameter of ZnO films was reduced monotonically with the increasing Sb doping level. The cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy (XTEM) observation confirmed the absence of any significant antimony oxide phase segregation across the thickness of the Sb-doped ZnO epitaxial film. However, the epitaxial quality of the films deteriorated as the level of Sb dopant increased. The electrical properties of ZnO:Sb film are closely correlated with post-annealing conditions and Sb doping concentrations.

Film-thickness and composition dependence of epitaxial thin-film PZT-based

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nguyen, Duc Minh; Dekkers, Jan M.; Vu, Hung Ngoc; Rijnders, Augustinus J.H.M.

2013-01-01

The transverse piezoelectric coefficient e31,f and mass-sensitivity were measured on piezoelectric cantilevers based on epitaxial PZT thin-films with film-thicknesses ranging from 100 to 2000 nm. The highest values of e31,f and mass-sensitivity were observed at a film thickness of 500–750 nm, while

Deposition of yttrium oxysulfide thin films by atomic layer epitaxy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kukli, K.; University of Tartu, Tartu,; Johansson, L-S.; Nykaenen, E.; Peussa, M.; Ninistoe, L.

1998-01-01

Full text: Yttrium oxysulfide is a highly interesting material for optoelectronic applications. It is industrially exploited in the form of doped powder in catholuminescent phosphors, e.g. Y 2 O 2 S: Eu 3+ for colour TV. Attempts to grow thin films of Y 2 O 2 S have not been frequent and only partially successful due to the difficulties in obtaining crystalline films at a reasonable temperature. Furthermore, sputtering easily leads to a sulphur deficiency. Evaporation of the elements from a multi-source offers a better control of the stoichiometry resulting in hexagonal (0002) oriented films at 580 deg C. In this paper we present the first successful thin film growth experiments using a chemical process with molecular precursors. Atomic layer epitaxy (ALE) allows the use of a relatively low deposition temperature and thus compatibility with other technologies. Already at 425 deg C the reaction between H 2 S and Y(thd) 3 (thd = 2,2,6,6 - tetramethyl-heptane-3,5- dione) yields a crystalline Y 2 O 2 S thin film which was characterized by XRD, XRF and XPS

Quasi van der Waals epitaxy of copper thin film on single-crystal graphene monolayer buffer

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Zonghuan; Sun, Xin; Washington, Morris A.; Lu, Toh-Ming

2018-03-01

Quasi van der Waals epitaxial growth of face-centered cubic Cu (~100 nm) thin films on single-crystal monolayer graphene is demonstrated using thermal evaporation at an elevated substrate temperature of 250 °C. The single-crystal graphene was transferred to amorphous (glass) and crystalline (quartz) SiO2 substrates for epitaxy study. Raman analysis showed that the thermal evaporation method had minimal damage to the graphene lattice during the Cu deposition. X-ray diffraction and electron backscatter diffraction analyses revealed that both Cu films are single-crystal with (1 1 1) out-of-plane orientation and in-plane Σ3 twin domains of 60° rotation. The crystallinity of the SiO2 substrates has a negligible effect on the Cu crystal orientation during the epitaxial growth, implying the strong screening effect of graphene. We also demonstrate the epitaxial growth of polycrystalline Cu on a commercial polycrystalline monolayer graphene consisting of two orientation domains offset 30° to each other. It confirms that the crystal orientation of the epitaxial Cu film follows that of graphene, i.e. the Cu film consists of two orientation domains offset 30° to each other when deposited on polycrystalline graphene. Finally, on the contrary to the report in the literature, we show that the direct current and radio frequency flip sputtering method causes significant damage to the graphene lattice during the Cu deposition process, and therefore neither is a suitable method for Cu epitaxial growth on graphene.

Probing the bulk ionic conductivity by thin film hetero-epitaxial engineering

KAUST Repository

Pergolesi, Daniele; Roddatis, Vladimir; Fabbri, Emiliana; Schneider, Christof W; Lippert, Thomas; Traversa, Enrico; Kilner, John A

2015-01-01

Highly textured thin films with small grain boundary regions can be used as model systems to directly measure the bulk conductivity of oxygen ion conducting oxides. Ionic conducting thin films and epitaxial heterostructures are also widely used

Preparation and structure characterization of SmCo5(0001) epitaxial thin films grown on Cu(111) underlayers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohtake, Mitsuru; Nukaga, Yuri; Futamoto, Masaaki; Kirino, Fumiyoshi

2009-01-01

SmCo 5 (0001) epitaxial films were prepared on Cu(111) single-crystal underlayers formed on Al 2 O 3 (0001) substrates at 500 deg. C. The nucleation and growth mechanism of (0001)-oriented SmCo 5 crystal on Cu(111) underlayer is investigated and a method to control the nucleation is proposed. The SmCo 5 epitaxial thin film formed directly on Cu underlayer consists of two types of domains whose orientations are rotated around the film normal by 30 deg. each other. By introducing a thin Co seed layer on the Cu underlayer, a SmCo 5 (0001) single-crystal thin film is successfully obtained. Nucleation of SmCo 5 crystal on Cu underlayer seems controllable by varying the interaction between the Cu underlayer and the SmCo 5 layer

Effect of extrapolation length on the phase transformation of epitaxial ferroelectric thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hu, Z.S.; Tang, M.H.; Wang, J.B.; Zheng, X.J.; Zhou, Y.C.

2008-01-01

Effects of extrapolation length on the phase transformation of epitaxial ferroelectric thin films on dissimilar cubic substrates have been studied on the basis of the mean-field Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire (LGD) thermodynamic theory by taking an uneven distribution of the interior stress with thickness into account. It was found that the polarization of epitaxial ferroelectric thin films is strongly dependent on the extrapolation length of films. The physical origin of the extrapolation length during the phase transformation from paraelectric to ferroelectric was revealed in the case of ferroelectric thin films

Growth and characterization of epitaxial ultra-thin NbN films on 3C-SiC/Si substrate for terahertz applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dochev, D; Desmaris, V; Pavolotsky, A; Meledin, D; Belitsky, V; Lai, Z; Henry, A; Janzen, E; Pippel, E; Woltersdorf, J

2011-01-01

We report on electrical properties and microstructure of epitaxial thin NbN films grown on 3C-SiC/Si substrates by means of reactive magnetron sputtering. A complete epitaxial growth at the NbN/3C-SiC interface has been confirmed by means of high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) along with x-ray diffractometry (XRD). Resistivity measurements of the films have shown that the superconducting transition onset temperature (T C ) for the best specimen is 11.8 K. Using these epitaxial NbN films, we have fabricated submicron-size hot-electron bolometer (HEB) devices on 3C-SiC/Si substrate and performed their complete DC characterization. The observed critical temperature T C = 11.3 K and critical current density of about 2.5 MA cm -2 at 4.2 K of the submicron-size bridges were uniform across the sample. This suggests that the deposited NbN films possess the necessary homogeneity to sustain reliable hot-electron bolometer device fabrication for THz mixer applications.

Growth and characterization of epitaxial ultra-thin NbN films on 3C-SiC/Si substrate for terahertz applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dochev, D; Desmaris, V; Pavolotsky, A; Meledin, D; Belitsky, V [Group for Advanced Receiver Development, Department of Earth and Space Sciences, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Gothenburg (Sweden); Lai, Z [Nanofabrication Laboratory, Department of Microtechnology and Nanoscience, Chalmers University of Technology, SE-412 96 Gothenburg (Sweden); Henry, A; Janzen, E [Department of Physics, Chemistry and Biology, Linkoeping University, SE-581 83 Linkoeping (Sweden); Pippel, E; Woltersdorf, J, E-mail: dimitar.dochev@chalmers.se [Max-Planck-Institute of Microstructure Physics, Weinberg 2, D-06120 Halle (Germany)

2011-03-15

We report on electrical properties and microstructure of epitaxial thin NbN films grown on 3C-SiC/Si substrates by means of reactive magnetron sputtering. A complete epitaxial growth at the NbN/3C-SiC interface has been confirmed by means of high resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) along with x-ray diffractometry (XRD). Resistivity measurements of the films have shown that the superconducting transition onset temperature (T{sub C}) for the best specimen is 11.8 K. Using these epitaxial NbN films, we have fabricated submicron-size hot-electron bolometer (HEB) devices on 3C-SiC/Si substrate and performed their complete DC characterization. The observed critical temperature T{sub C} = 11.3 K and critical current density of about 2.5 MA cm{sup -2} at 4.2 K of the submicron-size bridges were uniform across the sample. This suggests that the deposited NbN films possess the necessary homogeneity to sustain reliable hot-electron bolometer device fabrication for THz mixer applications.

Thickness-modulated anisotropic ferromagnetism in Fe-doped epitaxial HfO2 thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Wenlong; Liu, Ming; Zhang, Ruyi; Ma, Rong; Wang, Hong

2017-10-01

Epitaxial tetragonal Fe-doped Hf0.95Fe0.05O2 (FHO) thin films with various thicknesses were deposited on (001)-oriented NdCaAlO4 (NCAO) substrates by using a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) system. The crystal structure and epitaxial nature of the FHO thin films were confirmed by typical x-ray diffraction (XRD) θ-2θ scan and reciprocal space mapping (RSM). The results indicate that two sets of lattice sites exist with two different crystal orientations [(001) and (100)] in the thicker FHO thin films. Further, the intensity of the (100) direction increases with the increase in thicknesses, which should have a significant effect on the anisotropic magnetization of the FHO thin films. Meanwhile, all the FHO thin films possess a tetragonal phase structure. An anisotropy behavior in magnetization has been observed in the FHO thin films. The anisotropic magnetization of the FHO thin films is slowly weakened as the thickness increases. Meanwhile, the saturation magnetization (Ms) of both in-plane and out-of-plane decreases with the increase in the thickness. The change in the anisotropic magnetization and Ms is attributed to the crystal lattice and the variation in the valence of Fe ions. These results indicate that the thickness-modulated anisotropic ferromagnetism of the tetragonal FHO epitaxial thin films is of potential use for the integration of metal-oxide semiconductors with spintronics.

Epitaxially influenced boundary layer model for size effect in thin metallic films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bazant, Zdenek P.; Guo Zaoyang; Espinosa, Horacio D.; Zhu Yong; Peng Bei

2005-01-01

It is shown that the size effect recently observed by Espinosa et al., [J. Mech. Phys. Solids51, 47 (2003)] in pure tension tests on free thin metallic films can be explained by the existence of a boundary layer of fixed thickness, located at the surface of the film that was attached onto the substrate during deposition. The boundary layer is influenced by the epitaxial effects of crystal growth on the dislocation density and texture (manifested by prevalent crystal plane orientations). This influence is assumed to cause significantly elevated yield strength. Furthermore, the observed gradual postpeak softening, along with its size independence, which is observed in short film strips subjected to pure tension, is explained by slip localization, originating at notch-like defects, and by damage, which can propagate in a stable manner when the film strip under pure tension is sufficiently thin and short. For general applications, the present epitaxially influenced boundary layer model may be combined with the classical strain-gradient plasticity proposed by Gao et al., [J. Mech. Phys. Solids 47, 1239 (1999)], and it is shown that this combination is necessary to fit the test data on both pure tension and bending of thin films by one and the same theory. To deal with films having different crystal grain sizes, the Hall-Petch relation for the yield strength dependence on the grain size needs to be incorporated into the combined theory. For very thin films, in which a flattened grain fills the whole film thickness, the Hall-Petch relation needs a cutoff, and the asymptotic increase of yield strength with diminishing film thickness is then described by the extension of Nix's model of misfit dislocations by Zhang and Zhou [J. Adv. Mater. 38, 51 (2002)]. The final result is a proposal of a general theory for strength, size effect, hardening, and softening of thin metallic films

Epitaxially influenced boundary layer model for size effect in thin metallic films

Science.gov (United States)

Bažant, Zdeněk P.; Guo, Zaoyang; Espinosa, Horacio D.; Zhu, Yong; Peng, Bei

2005-04-01

It is shown that the size effect recently observed by Espinosa et al., [J. Mech. Phys. Solids51, 47 (2003)] in pure tension tests on free thin metallic films can be explained by the existence of a boundary layer of fixed thickness, located at the surface of the film that was attached onto the substrate during deposition. The boundary layer is influenced by the epitaxial effects of crystal growth on the dislocation density and texture (manifested by prevalent crystal plane orientations). This influence is assumed to cause significantly elevated yield strength. Furthermore, the observed gradual postpeak softening, along with its size independence, which is observed in short film strips subjected to pure tension, is explained by slip localization, originating at notch-like defects, and by damage, which can propagate in a stable manner when the film strip under pure tension is sufficiently thin and short. For general applications, the present epitaxially influenced boundary layer model may be combined with the classical strain-gradient plasticity proposed by Gao et al., [J. Mech. Phys. Solids 47, 1239 (1999)], and it is shown that this combination is necessary to fit the test data on both pure tension and bending of thin films by one and the same theory. To deal with films having different crystal grain sizes, the Hall-Petch relation for the yield strength dependence on the grain size needs to be incorporated into the combined theory. For very thin films, in which a flattened grain fills the whole film thickness, the Hall-Petch relation needs a cutoff, and the asymptotic increase of yield strength with diminishing film thickness is then described by the extension of Nix's model of misfit dislocations by Zhang and Zhou [J. Adv. Mater. 38, 51 (2002)]. The final result is a proposal of a general theory for strength, size effect, hardening, and softening of thin metallic films.

Thin film phase diagram of iron nitrides grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Science.gov (United States)

Gölden, D.; Hildebrandt, E.; Alff, L.

2017-01-01

A low-temperature thin film phase diagram of the iron nitride system is established for the case of thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy and nitrided by a nitrogen radical source. A fine-tuning of the nitridation conditions allows for growth of α ‧ -Fe8Nx with increasing c / a -ratio and magnetic anisotropy with increasing x until almost phase pure α ‧ -Fe8N1 thin films are obtained. A further increase of nitrogen content below the phase decomposition temperature of α ‧ -Fe8N (180 °C) leads to a mixture of several phases that is also affected by the choice of substrate material and symmetry. At higher temperatures (350 °C), phase pure γ ‧ -Fe4N is the most stable phase.

Epitaxy, thin films and superlattices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jagd Christensen, Morten

1997-05-01

This report is the result of structural investigations of 3d transition metal superlattices consisting of Fe/V, Cr/Mn, V/Mn and Fe/Mn, and a structural and magnetic study of a series of Ho/Pr alloys. The work includes preparation and characterization of substrates as well as growth of thin films and Fe/V superlattices by molecular beam epitaxy, including in-situ characterization by reflection high energy electron diffraction and Auger electron spectroscopy. Structural characterization has been done by x-ray diffraction and neutron diffraction. The x-ray diffraction experiments have been performed on the rotating copper anode at Risoe, and at synchrotron facilities in Hamburg and Brookhaven, and the neutron scattering was done at the Danish research reactor DR3 at Risoe. In addition to longitudinal scans, giving information about the structural parameters in the modulation direction, non-specular scans were also performed. This type of scans gives information about in-plane orientation and lattice parameters. From the analysis, structural information is obtained about lattice parameters, epitaxial strain, coherence lengths and crystallographic orientation for the superlattice systems, except Fe/Mn superlattices, which could not be modelled. For the Ho/Pr alloys, x-ray magnetic scattering was performed, and the crystal and magnetic structure was investigated. (au)

Epitaxy, thin films and superlattices

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jagd Christensen, Morten

1997-05-01

This report is the result of structural investigations of 3d transition metal superlattices consisting of Fe/V, Cr/Mn, V/Mn and Fe/Mn, and a structural and magnetic study of a series of Ho/Pr alloys. The work includes preparation and characterization of substrates as well as growth of thin films and Fe/V superlattices by molecular beam epitaxy, including in-situ characterization by reflection high energy electron diffraction and Auger electron spectroscopy. Structural characterization has been done by x-ray diffraction and neutron diffraction. The x-ray diffraction experiments have been performed on the rotating copper anode at Risoe, and at synchrotron facilities in Hamburg and Brookhaven, and the neutron scattering was done at the Danish research reactor DR3 at Risoe. In addition to longitudinal scans, giving information about the structural parameters in the modulation direction, non-specular scans were also performed. This type of scans gives information about in-plane orientation and lattice parameters. From the analysis, structural information is obtained about lattice parameters, epitaxial strain, coherence lengths and crystallographic orientation for the superlattice systems, except Fe/Mn superlattices, which could not be modelled. For the Ho/Pr alloys, x-ray magnetic scattering was performed, and the crystal and magnetic structure was investigated. (au) 14 tabs.; 58 ills., 96 refs.

Process for forming epitaxial perovskite thin film layers using halide precursors

Science.gov (United States)

Clem, Paul G.; Rodriguez, Mark A.; Voigt, James A.; Ashley, Carol S.

2001-01-01

A process for forming an epitaxial perovskite-phase thin film on a substrate. This thin film can act as a buffer layer between a Ni substrate and a YBa.sub.2 Cu.sub.3 O.sub.7-x superconductor layer. The process utilizes alkali or alkaline metal acetates dissolved in halogenated organic acid along with titanium isopropoxide to dip or spin-coat the substrate which is then heated to about 700.degree. C. in an inert gas atmosphere to form the epitaxial film on the substrate. The YBCO superconductor can then be deposited on the layer formed by this invention.

Strain induced room temperature ferromagnetism in epitaxial magnesium oxide thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jin, Zhenghe; Kim, Ki Wook [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (United States); Nori, Sudhakar; Lee, Yi-Fang; Narayan, Jagdish [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (United States); Kumar, D. [Department of Mechanical Engineering, North Carolina A & T State University, Greensboro, North Carolina 27411 (United States); Wu, Fan [Princeton Institute for the Science and Technology of Materials (PRISM), Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey 08540 (United States); Prater, J. T. [Materials Science Division, Army Research Office, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709 (United States)

2015-10-28

We report on the epitaxial growth and room-temperature ferromagnetic properties of MgO thin films deposited on hexagonal c-sapphire substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The epitaxial nature of the films has been confirmed by both θ-2θ and φ-scans of X-ray diffraction pattern. Even though bulk MgO is a nonmagnetic insulator, we have found that the MgO films exhibit ferromagnetism and hysteresis loops yielding a maximum saturation magnetization up to 17 emu/cc and large coercivity, H{sub c} = 1200 Oe. We have also found that the saturation magnetization gets enhanced and that the crystallization degraded with decreased growth temperature, suggesting that the origin of our magnetic coupling could be point defects manifested by the strain in the films. X-ray (θ-2θ) diffraction peak shift and strain analysis clearly support the presence of strain in films resulting from the presence of point defects. Based on careful investigations using secondary ion mass spectrometer and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy studies, we have ruled out the possibility of the presence of any external magnetic impurities. We discuss the critical role of microstructural characteristics and associated strain on the physical properties of the MgO films and establish a correlation between defects and magnetic properties.

Epitaxial growth of atomically flat gadolinia-doped ceria thin films by pulsed laser deposition

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chen, Yunzhong; Pryds, Nini; Schou, Jørgen

2011-01-01

Epitaxial growth of Ce0.8Gd0.2O2(CGO) films on (001) TiO2-terminated SrTiO3 substrates by pulsed laser deposition was investigated using in situ reflective high energy electron diffraction. The initial film growth shows a Stransky–Krastanov growth mode. However, this three-dimensional island...... formation is replaced by a two-dimensional island nucleation during further deposition, which results in atomically smooth CGO films. The obtained high-quality CGO films may be attractive for the electrolyte of solid-oxide fuel cells operating at low temperature....

Oxygen engineering of HfO{sub 2-x} thin films grown by reactive molecular beam epitaxy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hildebrandt, Erwin; Kurian, Jose; Alff, Lambert [Institut fuer Materialwissenschaft, TU-Darmstadt (Germany); Zaumseil, Peter; Schroeder, Thomas [IHP, Frankfurt, Oder (Germany)

2010-07-01

Reactive molecular beam epitaxy (R-MBE) is an ideal tool for tailoring physical properties of thin films to specific needs. For the development of cutting-edge oxides for thin film applications a precise control of oxygen defects is crucial. R-MBE in combination with rf-activated oxygen allows reproducibly growing oxide thin films with precise oxidation conditions enabling oxygen engineering. R-MBE was used to grow Hf and HfO{sub 2{+-}}{sub x} thin films with different oxidation conditions on sapphire single crystal substrates. Structural characterization was carried out using rotating anode x-ray diffraction revealing highly textured to epitaxial thin films on c-cut sapphire. Furthermore, switching of film orientation by varying the oxidation conditions was observed demonstrating the role of oxygen in the growth procedure. The investigation of electrical properties using a four probe measurement setup showed conductivities in the range of 1000 {mu}{omega}cm for oxygen deficient HfO{sub 2-x} thin films. Optical properties were investigated using a photospectrometer and additionally x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy was carried out to study the band gap and valence states. Both techniques were used to monitor the oxygen content in deficient HfO{sub 2-x} thin films. Our results demonstrate the importance of oxygen engineering even in the case of 'simple' oxides.

Epitaxial growth and structural characterization of Pb(Fe1/2Nb1/2)O3 thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peng, W.; Lemee, N.; Holc, J.; Kosec, M.; Blinc, R.; Karkut, M.G.

2009-01-01

We have grown lead iron niobate thin films with composition Pb(Fe 1/2 Nb 1/2 )O 3 (PFN) on (0 0 1) SrTiO 3 substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The influence of the deposition conditions on the phase purity was studied. Due to similar thermodynamic stability spaces, a pyrochlore phase often coexists with the PFN perovskite phase. By optimizing the kinetic parameters, we succeeded in identifying a deposition window which resulted in epitaxial perovskite-phase PFN thin films with no identifiable trace of impurity phases appearing in the X-ray diffractograms. PFN films having thicknesses between 20 and 200 nm were smooth and epitaxially oriented with the substrate and as demonstrated by RHEED streaks which were aligned with the substrate axes. X-ray diffraction showed that the films were completely c-axis oriented and of excellent crystalline quality with low mosaicity (X-ray rocking curve FWHM≤0.09 deg.). The surface roughness of thin films was also investigated by atomic force microscopy. The root-mean-square roughness varies between 0.9 nm for 50-nm-thick films to 16 nm for 100-nm-thick films. We also observe a correlation between grain size, surface roughness and film thickness.

Deposition and characterisation of epitaxial oxide thin films for SOFCs

KAUST Repository

Santiso, José ; Burriel, Mó nica

2010-01-01

This paper reviews the recent advances in the use of thin films, mostly epitaxial, for fundamental studies of materials for solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) applications. These studies include the influence of film microstructure, crystal orientation

Epitaxial growth of bcc-Fe{sub x}Co{sub 100-x} thin films on MgO(1 1 0) single-crystal substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ohtake, Mitsuru, E-mail: ohtake@futamoto.elect.chuo-u.ac.j [Faculty of Science and Engineering, Chuo University, 1-13-27 Kasuga, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8551 (Japan); Nishiyama, Tsutomu; Shikada, Kouhei [Faculty of Science and Engineering, Chuo University, 1-13-27 Kasuga, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8551 (Japan); Kirino, Fumiyoshi [Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, 12-8 Ueno-koen, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-8714 (Japan); Futamoto, Masaaki [Faculty of Science and Engineering, Chuo University, 1-13-27 Kasuga, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8551 (Japan)

2010-07-15

Fe{sub x}Co{sub 100-x} (x=100, 65, 50 at%) epitaxial thin films were prepared on MgO(1 1 0) single-crystal substrates heated at 300 deg. 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 deg. each other for all compositions. Fe{sub x}Co{sub 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{sub x}Co{sub 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 Fe{sub 50}Co{sub 50}/MgO interface along the MgO[1 1-bar 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-bar 0] direction.

New phenomena in epitaxial growth: solid films on quasicrystalline substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fournee, V; Thiel, P A

2005-01-01

An overview is given of the research conducted in the field of solid film growth on quasiperiodic surfaces. An atomistic description of quasicrystalline surfaces is presented and discussed in relation to bulk structural models. The various systems for which thin film growth has been attempted so far are reviewed. Emphasis is placed on the nucleation mechanisms of the solid films, on their growth modes in relation to the nature of the deposited metals, on the possibility of intermixing or alloying at the interface and on the epitaxial relationships at the crystal-quasicrystal interfaces. We also describe situations where the deposited elements adopt a quasiperiodic structure, which opens up the possibility of extending our understanding of the relation between quasiperiodicity and the physical properties of such structurally and chemically complex solids. (topical review)

Growth of (100)-highly textured BaBiO{sub 3} thin films on silicon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ferreyra, C. [GIyA and INN, CNEA, Av. Gral Paz 1499, 1650 San Martín, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Departamento de Física, Facultad Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón 1, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Marchini, F. [Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) (Argentina); Departamento de Química Inorgánica, Analítica y Química-Física, INQUIMAE-CONICET, Facultad Ciencias Exactas y Naturales, Universidad de Buenos Aires, Pabellón 2, Ciudad Universitaria, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Granell, P. [INTI, CMNB, Av. Gral Paz 5445, B1650KNA San Martín, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Golmar, F. [Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas (CONICET) (Argentina); INTI, CMNB, Av. Gral Paz 5445, B1650KNA San Martín, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Escuela de Ciencia y Tecnología, UNSAM, Campus Miguelete, 1650 San Martín, Buenos Aires (Argentina); Albornoz, C. [GIyA and INN, CNEA, Av. Gral Paz 1499, 1650 San Martín, Buenos Aires (Argentina); and others

2016-08-01

We report on the growth and characterization of non-epitaxial but (100)-highly textured BaBiO{sub 3} thin films on silicon substrates. We have found the deposition conditions that optimize the texture, and show that the textured growth is favoured by the formation of a BaO layer at the first growth stages. X-ray diffraction Φ-scans, together with the observation that the same textured growth is found on films grown on Pt and SiO{sub 2} buffered Si, demonstrate the absence of epitaxy. Finally, we have shown that our (100)-oriented BaBiO{sub 3} films can be used as suitable buffers for the growth of textured heterostructures on silicon, which could facilitate the integration of potential devices with standard electronics. - Highlights: • BaBiO{sub 3} thin films were grown on Si substrates and characterized. • Films prepared using optimized conditions are highly textured in the (100) direction. • The absence of in-plane texture was demonstrated by X-ray diffraction. • Our films are suitable buffers for the growth of (100)-textured oxide heterostructures.

Epitaxial growth of high temperature superconductors by cathodic sputtering I: thin films of YBaCuO

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Navacerrada, M.A.; Sefrioui, Z.; Arias, D.; Varela, M.; Loos, G.; Leon, C.; Lucia, M.L.; Santamaria, J.; Sanchez-Quesada, F.

1998-01-01

High quality c-oriented YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7 -x thin films have been grown on SrTiO 3 (100)substrates by high pressure sputtering in pure oxygen atmosphere. Low angle X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy were performed on films less than 250 angstrom thick showing a plenitude better than one unit cell. Moreover, the structural characterization by means of X ray φ scans showed that growth is epitaxial. The critical temperature has been measured by different ways and was always in the range 89.5-90.5K. the resistance transition is sharper than 1K and the mutual inductance response always shows magnetic losses peaks narrower than 0.3K. Critical current densities are in excess of 10''''6 angstrom/cm''''2 at 77K. (Author) 8 refs

Epitaxial growth of YBa sub 2 Cu sub 3 O sub 7 minus. delta. thin films on LiNbO sub 3 substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lee, S.G.; Koren, G.; Gupta, A.; Segmuller, A.; Chi, C.C. (IBM Thomas J. Watson Research Center, P.O. Box 218, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598 (US))

1989-09-18

{ital In} {ital situ} epitaxial growth of YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub 7{minus}{delta}} thin films on {ital Y}-cut LiNbO{sub 3} substrates using a standard laser ablation technique is reported. Resistance of the films shows a normal metallic behavior and a very sharp ({lt}1 K) superconducting transition with {ital T}{sub {ital c}}({ital R}=0) of 92 K. High critical current density of {ital J}{sub {ital c}}(77 K)=2{times}10{sup 5} A/cm{sup 2} is observed, which is in accordance with epitaxial growth. Film orientation observed from x-ray diffraction spectra indicates that the {ital c} axis is normal to the substrate plane and the {ital a} axis is at 45{degree} to the (11.0) direction of the hexagonal lattice of the substrate with two domains in mirror image to the (110) plane.

Epitaxial growth of fcc Ti films on Al(001) surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saleh, A.A.; Shutthanandan, V.; Shivaparan, N.R.; Smith, R.J.; Tran, T.T.; Chambers, S.A.

1997-01-01

High-energy ion scattering (HEIS), x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, and x-ray photoelectron diffraction (XPD) were used to study the growth of thin Ti films on Al(001) surfaces. The Al surface peak area in the backscattered ion spectrum of MeV He + ions, incident along the [00 bar 1] direction, was used to monitor the atomic structure of the Ti films during growth. An initial decrease in the area was observed indicating epitaxial film growth. This decrease continued up to a critical film thickness of about 5.5 ML, after which point the structure of the film changed. Titanium films 3, 5, and 9 ML thick were characterized using XPD in the same chamber. Both the HEIS and XPD results show that the Ti films grow with an fcc structure on Al(001). A tetragonal distortion of 2.4% in the fcc Ti film was measured using ions incident along the [10 bar 1] direction. Although there is a general similarity of fcc Ti growth on both Al(001) and Al(110), the submonolayer growth regime does show differences for the two surfaces. copyright 1997 The American Physical Society

Epitaxial growth and electronic structure of oxyhydride SrVO2H thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Katayama, Tsukasa; Chikamatsu, Akira; Yamada, Keisuke; Shigematsu, Kei; Onozuka, Tomoya; Minohara, Makoto; Kumigashira, Hiroshi; Ikenaga, Eiji; Hasegawa, Tetsuya

2016-08-01

Oxyhydride SrVO2H epitaxial thin films were fabricated on SrTiO3 substrates via topotactic hydridation of oxide SrVO3 films using CaH2. Structural and composition analyses suggested that the SrVO2H film possessed one-dimensionally ordered V-H--V bonds along the out-of-plane direction. The synthesis temperature could be lowered by reducing the film thickness, and the SrVO2H film was reversible to SrVO3 by oxidation through annealing in air. Photoemission and X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements revealed the V3+ valence state in the SrVO2H film, indicating that the hydrogen existed as hydride. Furthermore, the electronic density of states was highly suppressed at the Fermi energy, consistent with the prediction that tetragonal distortion induces metal to insulation transition.

Quantitative evaluation about property of thin-film formation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chen Huawei [Department of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1, O-okayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo (Japan) and School of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University (China)]. E-mail: chen_hua_wei@yahoo.com; Hagiwara, Ichiro [Department of Mechanical Sciences and Engineering, Graduate School of Science and Engineering, Tokyo Institute of Technology, 2-12-1, O-okayama, Meguro-ku, Tokyo (Japan); Huang Tian [Department of Engineering, University of Warwick, Coventry CV4 7AL (United Kingdom); School of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University (China); Zhang Dawei [School of Mechanical Engineering, Tianjin University (China)

2006-03-15

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is gradually emphasized as one promising method for nanomaterial formation. Such growth mechanism has been mainly investigated on basis of experiment. Due to large cost of the equipment of experiment and low level of current measurement, the comprehension about authentic effect of formation condition on properties of nanomaterial is limited in qualitative manner. Three quantitative items: flatness of primary deposition, adhesion between cluster and substrate, and degree of epitaxial growth were proposed to evaluate the property of thin film. In this simulation, three different cluster sizes of 203, 653, 1563 atoms with different velocities (0, 10, 100, 1000, 3000 m/s) were deposited on a Cu(0 0 1) substrate whose temperatures were set between 300 and 1000 K. Within one velocity range, not only the speed of epitaxial growth and adhesion between thin film and substrate were enhanced, but also the degree of epitaxy increased and the shape of thin film became more flat with velocity increasing. Moreover, the epitaxial growth became well as the temperature of substrate was raised within a certain range, and the degree of epitaxy of small cluster was larger than larger cluster. The results indicated that the property of thin film could be controlled if the effect of situations of process was made clear.

Quantitative evaluation about property of thin-film formation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Huawei; Hagiwara, Ichiro; Huang Tian; Zhang Dawei

2006-01-01

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD) is gradually emphasized as one promising method for nanomaterial formation. Such growth mechanism has been mainly investigated on basis of experiment. Due to large cost of the equipment of experiment and low level of current measurement, the comprehension about authentic effect of formation condition on properties of nanomaterial is limited in qualitative manner. Three quantitative items: flatness of primary deposition, adhesion between cluster and substrate, and degree of epitaxial growth were proposed to evaluate the property of thin film. In this simulation, three different cluster sizes of 203, 653, 1563 atoms with different velocities (0, 10, 100, 1000, 3000 m/s) were deposited on a Cu(0 0 1) substrate whose temperatures were set between 300 and 1000 K. Within one velocity range, not only the speed of epitaxial growth and adhesion between thin film and substrate were enhanced, but also the degree of epitaxy increased and the shape of thin film became more flat with velocity increasing. Moreover, the epitaxial growth became well as the temperature of substrate was raised within a certain range, and the degree of epitaxy of small cluster was larger than larger cluster. The results indicated that the property of thin film could be controlled if the effect of situations of process was made clear

Growth process and structure of Er/Si(100) thin film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujii, S.; Michishita, Y.; Miyamae, N.; Suto, H.; Honda, S.; Okado, H.; Oura, K.; Katayama, M.

2006-01-01

The solid-phase reactive epitaxial growth processes and structures of Er/Si(100) thin films were investigated by coaxial impact-collision ion scattering spectroscopy (CAICISS), scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The as-deposited Er film grown at room temperature was transformed into crystalline rectangular-shaped islands after annealing at 900 deg. C. These islands have a hexagonal AlB 2 -type structure and the epitaxial relationship is determined to be ErSi 2 (011-bar0)[0001]//Si(100)[011-bar]. It has been revealed that the surface of the Er silicide island is terminated with an Er plane

Epitaxial growth of rhenium with sputtering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oh, Seongshik [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305 (United States) and Department of Physics, University of Illinois, Urbana, IL 61801 (United States)]. E-mail: soh@boulder.nist.gov; Hite, Dustin A. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305 (United States); Cicak, K. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305 (United States); Osborn, Kevin D. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305 (United States); Simmonds, Raymond W. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305 (United States); McDermott, Robert [University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States); Cooper, Ken B. [University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States); Steffen, Matthias [University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States); Martinis, John M. [University of California, Santa Barbara, CA 93106 (United States); Pappas, David P. [National Institute of Standards and Technology, Boulder, CO 80305 (United States)

2006-02-21

We have grown epitaxial Rhenium (Re) (0001) films on {alpha}-Al{sub 2}O{sub 3} (0001) substrates using sputter deposition in an ultra high vacuum system. We find that better epitaxy is achieved with DC rather than with RF sputtering. With DC sputtering, epitaxy is obtained with the substrate temperatures above 700 deg. C and deposition rates below 0.1 nm/s. The epitaxial Re films are typically composed of terraced hexagonal islands with screw dislocations, and island size gets larger with high temperature post-deposition annealing. The growth starts in a three dimensional mode but transforms into two dimensional mode as the film gets thicker. With a thin ({approx}2 nm) seed layer deposited at room temperature and annealed at a high temperature, the initial three dimensional growth can be suppressed. This results in larger islands when a thick film is grown at 850 deg. C on the seed layer. We also find that when a room temperature deposited Re film is annealed to higher temperatures, epitaxial features start to show up above {approx}600 deg. C, but the film tends to be disordered.

Optical properties of aluminum nitride thin films grown by direct-current magnetron sputtering close to epitaxy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stolz, A. [Institut d' Electronique de Microélectronique et de Nanotechnologie (IEMN), UMR CNRS 8520, PRES Lille, Université Nord de France, Avenue Poincaré, 59652 Villeneuve d' Ascq Cedex (France); Soltani, A., E-mail: ali.soltani@iemn.univ-lille1.fr [Institut d' Electronique de Microélectronique et de Nanotechnologie (IEMN), UMR CNRS 8520, PRES Lille, Université Nord de France, Avenue Poincaré, 59652 Villeneuve d' Ascq Cedex (France); Abdallah, B. [Department of Materials Physics, Atomic Energy Commission of Syria, Damascus, P.O. Box 6091 (Syrian Arab Republic); Charrier, J. [Fonctions Optiques pour les Technologies de l' informatiON (FOTON), UMR CNRS 6082, 6, rue de Kerampont CS 80518, 22305 Lannion Cedex (France); Deresmes, D. [Institut d' Electronique de Microélectronique et de Nanotechnologie (IEMN), UMR CNRS 8520, PRES Lille, Université Nord de France, Avenue Poincaré, 59652 Villeneuve d' Ascq Cedex (France); Jouan, P.-Y.; Djouadi, M.A. [Institut des Matériaux Jean Rouxel – IMN, UMR CNRS 6502, 2, rue de la Houssinère BP 32229, 44322 Nantes (France); Dogheche, E.; De Jaeger, J.-C. [Institut d' Electronique de Microélectronique et de Nanotechnologie (IEMN), UMR CNRS 8520, PRES Lille, Université Nord de France, Avenue Poincaré, 59652 Villeneuve d' Ascq Cedex (France)

2013-05-01

Low-temperature Aluminum Nitride (AlN) thin films with a thickness of 3 μm were deposited by Direct-Current magnetron sputtering on sapphire substrate. They present optical properties similar to those of epitaxially grown films. Different characterization methods such as X-Ray Diffraction, Transmission Electron Microscopy and Atomic Force Microscopy were used to determine the structural properties of the films such as its roughness and crystallinity. Newton interferometer was used for stress measurement of the films. Non-destructive prism-coupling technique was used to determine refractive index and thickness homogeneity by a mapping on the whole sample area. Results show that AlN films grown on AlGaN layer have a high crystallinity close to epitaxial films, associated to a low intrinsic stress for low thickness. These results highlight that it is possible to grow thick sample with microstructure and optical properties close to epitaxy, even on a large surface. - Highlights: ► Aluminum Nitride sputtering technique with a low temperature growth process ► Epitaxial quality of two microns sputtered Aluminum Nitride film ► Optics as a non-destructive accurate tool for acoustic wave investigation.

YCo5±x thin films with perpendicular anisotropy grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, S.; Hildebrandt, E.; Sharath, S. U.; Radulov, I.; Alff, L.

2017-06-01

The synthesis conditions of buffer-free (00l) oriented YCo5 and Y2Co17 thin films onto Al2O3 (0001) substrates have been explored by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). The manipulation of the ratio of individual atomic beams of Yttrium, Y and Cobalt, Co, as well as growth rate variations allows establishing a thin film phase diagram. Highly textured YCo5±x thin films were stabilized with saturation magnetization of 517 emu/cm3 (0.517 MA/m), coercivity of 4 kOe (0.4 T), and anisotropy constant, K1, equal to 5.34 ×106 erg/cm3 (0.53 MJ/m3). These magnetic parameters and the perpendicular anisotropy obtained without additional underlayers make the material system interesting for application in magnetic recording devices.

Oxygen pressure-tuned epitaxy and magnetic properties of magnetite thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Junran [Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory for Nanotechnology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Liu, Wenqing [York-Nanjing Joint Centre (YNJC) for Spintronics and Nanoengineering, Department of Electronics, The University of York, YO10 3DD (United Kingdom); Zhang, Minhao; Zhang, Xiaoqian; Niu, Wei; Gao, Ming [Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory for Nanotechnology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Wang, Xuefeng, E-mail: xfwang@nju.edu.cn [Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory for Nanotechnology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Du, Jun [School of Physics, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Zhang, Rong [Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory for Nanotechnology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); Xu, Yongbing, E-mail: ybxu@nju.edu.cn [Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory of Advanced Photonic and Electronic Materials, Jiangsu Provincial Key Laboratory for Nanotechnology, Collaborative Innovation Center of Advanced Microstructures, School of Electronic Science and Engineering, Nanjing University, Nanjing 210093 (China); York-Nanjing Joint Centre (YNJC) for Spintronics and Nanoengineering, Department of Electronics, The University of York, YO10 3DD (United Kingdom)

2017-06-15

Highlights: • Quasi-2D Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} films were obtained by PLD. • RHEED under different oxygen pressure were observed. • Influence of oxygen pressure on Fe{sub 3}O{sub 4} films were investigated. • Epitaxy and magnetic properties were tuned by oxygen pressure. • The ratio of Fe{sup 2+}/Fe{sup 3+} fitted by XPS is the tuned factor of M{sub s}. - Abstract: Quasi-two-dimensional magnetite epitaxial thin films have been synthesized by pulsed laser deposition technique at various oxygen pressures. The saturation magnetizations of the magnetite films were found to decrease from 425 emu/cm{sup 3}, which is close to the bulk value, to 175 emu/cm{sup 3} as the growth atmospheres varying from high vacuum (∼1 × 10{sup −8} mbar) to oxygen pressure of 1 × 10{sup −3} mbar. The ratio of the Fe{sup 3+} to Fe{sup 2+} increases from 2 to 2.7 as oxygen pressure increasing shown by XPS fitting, which weakens the net magnetic moment generated by Fe{sup 2+} at octahedral sites as the spins of the Fe{sup 3+} ions at octahedral and tetrahedral sites are aligned in antiparallel. The results offer direct experimental evidence of the influence to the Fe{sup 3+}/Fe{sup 2+} ratio and the magnetic moment in magnetite epitaxy films by oxygen pressure, which is significant for spintronic applications.

Growth of Pb(Ti,Zr)O 3 thin films by metal-organic molecular beam epitaxy

Science.gov (United States)

Avrutin, V.; Liu, H. Y.; Izyumskaya, N.; Xiao, B.; Özgür, Ü.; Morkoç, H.

2009-02-01

Single-crystal Pb(Zr xTi 1-x)O 3 thin films have been grown on (0 0 1) SrTiO 3 and SrTiO 3:Nb substrates by molecular beam epitaxy using metal-organic source of Zr and two different sources of reactive oxygen—RF plasma and hydrogen-peroxide sources. The same growth modes and comparable structural properties were observed for the films grown with both oxygen sources, while the plasma source allowed higher growth rates. The films with x up to 0.4 were single phase, while attempts to increase x beyond gave rise to the ZrO 2 second phase. The effects of growth conditions on growth modes, Zr incorporation, and phase composition of the Pb(Zr xTi 1-x)O 3 films are discussed. Electrical and ferroelectric properties of the Pb(Zr xTi 1-x)O 3 films of ~100 nm in thickness grown on SrTiO 3:Nb were studied using current-voltage, capacitance-voltage, and polarization-field measurements. The single-phase films show low leakage currents and large breakdown fields, while the values of remanent polarization are low (around 5 μC/cm 2). It was found that, at high sweep fields, the contribution of the leakage current to the apparent values of remanent polarization can be large, even for the films with large electrical resistivity (˜10 8-10 9 Ω cm at an electric filed of 1 MV/cm). The measured dielectric constant ranges from 410 to 260 for Pb(Zr 0.33Ti 0.67)O 3 and from 313 to 213 for Pb(Zr 0.2Ti 0.8)O 3 in the frequency range from 100 to 1 MHz.

Quasi-epitaxial barium hexaferrite thin films prepared by a topotactic reactive diffusion process

Science.gov (United States)

Meng, Siqin; Yue, Zhenxing; Zhang, Xiaozhi; Li, Longtu

2014-01-01

Quasi-epitaxial barium hexaferrite thin films (BaM) with crystallographic c-axis parallel to film normal were prepared through a topotactic reactive diffusion process using two-step solution deposition on c-plane sapphire. The two-step spin coating process involves preparing an epitaxial hematite film, coating the film with barium precursor solution and thermal annealing. The crystal orientation and magnetic anisotropy of BaM thin films were investigated by X-ray diffraction analysis, SEM observation and magnetic measurements. Hysteresis loops showed good magnetic anisotropy and high remanence ratio (RR) Mr/Ms = 0.97. The films fabricated by two-step spin coating process displayed wider rocking curve width but better magnetic anisotropy than one-step spin coating. The possible mechanism of this discrepancy is discussed in this paper.

Quasi-epitaxial barium hexaferrite thin films prepared by a topotactic reactive diffusion process

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meng, Siqin; Yue, Zhenxing, E-mail: yuezhx@tsinghua.edu.cn; Zhang, Xiaozhi; Li, Longtu

2014-01-30

Quasi-epitaxial barium hexaferrite thin films (BaM) with crystallographic c-axis parallel to film normal were prepared through a topotactic reactive diffusion process using two-step solution deposition on c-plane sapphire. The two-step spin coating process involves preparing an epitaxial hematite film, coating the film with barium precursor solution and thermal annealing. The crystal orientation and magnetic anisotropy of BaM thin films were investigated by X-ray diffraction analysis, SEM observation and magnetic measurements. Hysteresis loops showed good magnetic anisotropy and high remanence ratio (RR) Mr/Ms = 0.97. The films fabricated by two-step spin coating process displayed wider rocking curve width but better magnetic anisotropy than one-step spin coating. The possible mechanism of this discrepancy is discussed in this paper.

Epitaxial growth of indium oxyfluoride thin films by reactive pulsed laser deposition: Structural change induced by fluorine insertion into vacancy sites in bixbyite structure

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Okazaki, Sohei; Hirose, Yasushi; Nakao, Shoichiro; Yang, Chang; Harayama, Isao; Sekiba, Daiichiro; Hasegawa, Tetsuya

2014-01-01

InO x F y thin films were epitaxially grown on Y-stabilized ZrO 2 (111) substrates by reactive pulsed laser deposition. By changing the substrate temperature (T S ), we were able to control the fluorine content of the film. Phase-pure epitaxial thin films with bixbyite-like ordering in the anion-site occupancy were obtained at high T S (≥ 240 °C), where fluorine was inserted into the vacancy sites in the bixbyite lattice up to y / (x + y) ∼ 0.3. By decreasing T S , y / (x + y) increased and the bixbyite-like ordering disappeared; simultaneously, fluorine-rich and fluorine-poor subphases emerged. The films grown at T S ≤ 150 °C were amorphous and exhibited higher optical absorbance and electrical resistivity than the epitaxial films. - Highlights: • InO x F y epitaxial thin films with high fluorine concentration were grown on Y:ZrO 2 . • Anion composition and structural, optical and transport properties were studied. • Fluorine is topotactically inserted into the oxygen vacancy sites in bixbyite cell. • Bixbyite-like ordering of the anion site occupancy was conserved in y / (x + y) ≤ ∼ 0.3

Magnetic Field Enhanced Superconductivity in Epitaxial Thin Film WTe2.

Science.gov (United States)

Asaba, Tomoya; Wang, Yongjie; Li, Gang; Xiang, Ziji; Tinsman, Colin; Chen, Lu; Zhou, Shangnan; Zhao, Songrui; Laleyan, David; Li, Yi; Mi, Zetian; Li, Lu

2018-04-25

In conventional superconductors an external magnetic field generally suppresses superconductivity. This results from a simple thermodynamic competition of the superconducting and magnetic free energies. In this study, we report the unconventional features in the superconducting epitaxial thin film tungsten telluride (WTe 2 ). Measuring the electrical transport properties of Molecular Beam Epitaxy (MBE) grown WTe 2 thin films with a high precision rotation stage, we map the upper critical field H c2 at different temperatures T. We observe the superconducting transition temperature T c is enhanced by in-plane magnetic fields. The upper critical field H c2 is observed to establish an unconventional non-monotonic dependence on temperature. We suggest that this unconventional feature is due to the lifting of inversion symmetry, which leads to the enhancement of H c2 in Ising superconductors.

The liquid phase epitaxy method for the construction of oriented ZIF-8 thin films with controlled growth on functionalized surfaces

KAUST Repository

Shekhah, Osama; Eddaoudi, Mohamed

2013-01-01

Highly-oriented ZIF-8 thin films with controllable thickness were grown on an -OH-functionalized Au substrate using the liquid phase epitaxy method at room temperature, as evidenced by SEM and PXRD. The adsorption-desorption properties of the resulting ZIF-8 thin film were investigated for various VOCs using the QCM technique. © The Royal Society of Chemistry 2013.

Epitaxial properties of ZnO thin films on SrTiO3 substrates grown by laser molecular beam epitaxy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wei, X. H.; Li, Y. R.; Zhu, J.; Huang, W.; Zhang, Y.; Luo, W. B.; Ji, H.

2007-01-01

Epitaxial ZnO thin films with different orientations have been grown by laser molecular beam epitaxy on (001)- (011)-, and (111)-orientated SrTiO 3 single-crystal substrates. The growth behavior was in situ monitored by reflection high-energy electron diffraction, and the epitaxial orientation relations were reconfirmed by ex situ x-ray diffraction measurements. In the case of ZnO on SrTiO 3 (001), four orthogonal domains coexisted in the ZnO epilayer, i.e., ZnO(110) parallel SrTiO 3 (001) and ZnO[-111] parallel SrTiO 3 . For (011)- and (111)-orientated substrates, single-domain epitaxy with c axial orientation was observed, in which the in-plane relationship was ZnO[110] parallel SrTiO 3 [110] irrespective of the substrate orientations. Additionally, the crystalline quality of ZnO on SrTiO 3 (111) was better than that of ZnO on SrTiO 3 (011) because of the same symmetry between the (111) substrates and (001) films. The obtained results can be attributed to the difference of the in-plane crystallographic symmetry. Furthermore, those alignments can be explained by the interface stress between the substrates and the films

Preparation of YBa2Cu3O7-δ epitaxial thin films by pulsed ion-beam evaporation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sorasit, S.; Yoshida, G.; Suzuki, T.; Suematsu, H.; Jiang, W.; Yatsui, K.

2001-01-01

Thin films of YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ (Y-123) grown epitaxially have been successfully deposited by ion-beam evaporation (IBE). The c-axis oriented YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ thin films were successfully deposited on MgO and SrTiO 3 substrates. The Y-123 thin films which were prepared on the SrTiO 3 substrates were confirmed to be epitaxially grown, by X-ray diffraction analysis. The instantaneous deposition rate of the Y-123 thin films was estimated as high as 4 mm/s. (author)

Thin film growth studies using time-resolved x-ray scattering

Science.gov (United States)

Kowarik, Stefan

2017-02-01

Thin-film growth is important for novel functional materials and new generations of devices. The non-equilibrium growth physics involved is very challenging, because the energy landscape for atomic scale processes is determined by many parameters, such as the diffusion and Ehrlich-Schwoebel barriers. We review the in situ real-time techniques of x-ray diffraction (XRD), x-ray growth oscillations and diffuse x-ray scattering (GISAXS) for the determination of structure and morphology on length scales from Å to µm. We give examples of time resolved growth experiments mainly from molecular thin film growth, but also highlight growth of inorganic materials using molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and electrochemical deposition from liquids. We discuss how scaling parameters of rate equation models and fundamental energy barriers in kinetic Monte Carlo methods can be determined from fits of the real-time x-ray data.

Microstructure evolution in pulsed laser deposited epitaxial Ge-Sb-Te chalcogenide thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ross, Ulrich; Lotnyk, Andriy, E-mail: andriy.lotnyk@iom-leipzig.de; Thelander, Erik; Rauschenbach, Bernd

2016-08-15

The thin film deposition and structure of highly oriented telluride compounds is of particular interest for phase-change applications in next-generation non-volatile memory such as heterostructure designs, as well as for the investigation of novel optical, thermoelectric and ferroelectric properties in layered telluride compounds. In this work, epitaxial Ge-Sb-Te thin films were successfully produced by pulsed laser deposition on silicon with and without amorphous SiO{sub x} interlayer at elevated process temperatures from a Ge{sub 2}Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 5} target. Aberration-corrected high-resolution scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM) imaging reveals a distinct interface configuration of the trigonal phase connected by a quasi van der Waals gap (vacancy) to the Sb/Te-passivated single crystalline Si substrate, yet also an intermediate textured growth regime in which the substrate symmetry is only weakly coupled to the thin film orientation, as well as strong deviation of composition at high deposition temperatures. Textured growth of Ge-Sb-Te thin film was also observed on SiO{sub x}/Si substrate with no evidence of an intermediate Sb/Te surface layer on top of an SiO{sub x} layer. In addition, particular defect structures formed by local reorganization of the stacking sequence across the vacancy gap are observed and appear to be intrinsic to these van der Waals-layered compounds. Theoretical image simulations of preferred stacking sequences can be matched to individual building blocks in the Ge-Sb-Te grain. - Highlights: • Atomic-resolution Cs-corrected STEM imaging of PLD deposited Ge-Sb-Te thin films. • Changing of overall composition with increasing deposition temperature. • Direct imaging of surface passivation Sb/Te layer at the Ge-Sb-Te/Si(111) interface. • The Sb/Te passivation layer is not a prerequisite for highly oriented growth of Ge-Sb-Te thin films.

Strain quantification in epitaxial thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cushley, M

2008-01-01

Strain arising in epitaxial thin films can be beneficial in some cases but devastating in others. By altering the lattice parameters, strain may give a thin film properties hitherto unseen in the bulk material. On the other hand, heavily strained systems are prone to develop lattice defects in order to relieve the strain, which can cause device failure or, at least, a decrease in functionality. Using convergent beam electron diffraction (CBED) and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), it is possible to determine local strains within a material. By comparing the results from CBED and HRTEM experiments, it is possible to gain a complete view of a material, including the strain and any lattice defects present. As well as looking at how the two experimental techniques differ from each other, I will also look at how results from different image analysis algorithms compare. Strain in Si/SiGe samples and BST/SRO/MgO capacitor structures will be discussed.

Effect of carbon additive on microstructure evolution and magnetic properties of epitaxial FePt (001) thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ding, Y.F.; Chen, J.S.; Liu, E.; Lim, B.C.; Hu, J.F.; Liu, B.

2009-01-01

FePt:C thin films were deposited on CrRu underlayers by DC magnetron co-sputtering. The effects of C content, FePt:C film thickness and substrate temperature on the microstructural and magnetic properties of the epitaxial FePt (001) films were studied. Experimental results showed that even with 30 vol.% C doping, the FePt films could keep a (001) preferred orientation at 350 deg. C . When a FePt:C film was very thin (< 5 nm), the film had a continuous microstructure instead of a granual structure with C diffused onto the film surface. With further increased film thickness, the film started to nucleate and formed a column microstructure over continuous FePt films. A strong exchange coupling in the FePt:C films was believed to be due to the presence of a thin continuous FePt layer attributed to the carbon diffusion during the initial stage of the FePt:C film growth. Despite the presence of a strong exchange coupling in the FePt:C (20 vol.% C) film, the SNR ratio of the FePt:C media was about 10 dB better than that of the pure FePt media. The epitaxial growth of the FePt:C films on the Pt layers was observed from high resolution TEM cross sectional images even for the films grown at about 200 deg. C . The TEM images did not show an obvious change in the morphology of the FePt:C films deposited at different temperatures (from 200 deg. C to 350 deg. C ), though the ordering degree and coercivity of the films increased with increased substrate temperature

Characterization of structural defects in SnSe2 thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs (111)B substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Tracy, Brian D.; Li, Xiang; Liu, Xinyu; Furdyna, Jacek; Dobrowolska, Margaret; Smith, David J.

2016-11-01

Tin selenide thin films have been grown by molecular beam epitaxy on GaAs (111)B substrates at a growth temperature of 150 °C, and a microstructural study has been carried out, primarily using the technique of transmission electron microscopy. The Se:Sn flux ratio during growth was systematically varied and found to have a strong impact on the resultant crystal structure and quality. Low flux ratios (Se:Sn=3:1) led to defective films consisting primarily of SnSe, whereas high flux ratios (Se:Sn>10:1) gave higher quality, single-phase SnSe2. The structure of the monoselenide films was found to be consistent with the Space Group Pnma with the epitaxial growth relationship of [011]SnSe// [ 1 1 bar 0 ] GaAs, while the diselenide films were consistent with the Space Group P 3 bar m1 , and had the epitaxial growth relationship [ 2 1 bar 1 bar 0 ]SnSe2// [ 1 1 bar 0 ] GaAs.

Misfit strain-film thickness phase diagrams and related electromechanical properties of epitaxial ultra-thin lead zirconate titanate films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Qiu, Q.Y.; Mahjoub, R. [School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052 (Australia); Alpay, S.P. [Materials Science and Engineering Program and Institute of Materials Science, University of Connecticut, Storrs, CT 06269 (United States); Nagarajan, V., E-mail: nagarajan@unsw.edu.au [School of Materials Science and Engineering, University of New South Wales, Sydney, NSW 2052 (Australia)

2010-02-15

The phase stability of ultra-thin (0 0 1) oriented ferroelectric PbZr{sub 1-x}Ti{sub x}O{sub 3} (PZT) epitaxial thin films as a function of the film composition, film thickness, and the misfit strain is analyzed using a non-linear Landau-Ginzburg-Devonshire thermodynamic model taking into account the electrical and mechanical boundary conditions. The theoretical formalism incorporates the role of the depolarization field as well as the possibility of the relaxation of in-plane strains via the formation of microstructural features such as misfit dislocations at the growth temperature and ferroelastic polydomain patterns below the paraelectric-ferroelectric phase transformation temperature. Film thickness-misfit strain phase diagrams are developed for PZT films with four different compositions (x = 1, 0.9, 0.8 and 0.7) as a function of the film thickness. The results show that the so-called rotational r-phase appears in a very narrow range of misfit strain and thickness of the film. Furthermore, the in-plane and out-of-plane dielectric permittivities {epsilon}{sub 11} and {epsilon}{sub 33}, as well as the out-of-plane piezoelectric coefficients d{sub 33} for the PZT thin films, are computed as a function of misfit strain, taking into account substrate-induced clamping. The model reveals that previously predicted ultrahigh piezoelectric coefficients due to misfit-strain-induced phase transitions are practically achievable only in an extremely narrow range of film thickness, composition and misfit strain parameter space. We also show that the dielectric and piezoelectric properties of epitaxial ferroelectric films can be tailored through strain engineering and microstructural optimization.

Epitaxial growth of indium oxyfluoride thin films by reactive pulsed laser deposition: Structural change induced by fluorine insertion into vacancy sites in bixbyite structure

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Okazaki, Sohei [Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), 3-2-1 Sakado, Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki 213-0012 (Japan); CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Hirose, Yasushi, E-mail: hirose@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp [Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), 3-2-1 Sakado, Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki 213-0012 (Japan); CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Nakao, Shoichiro [Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), 3-2-1 Sakado, Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki 213-0012 (Japan); CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Yang, Chang [Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), 3-2-1 Sakado, Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki 213-0012 (Japan); CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Harayama, Isao; Sekiba, Daiichiro [Tandem Accelerator Complex, University of Tsukuba, Tennodai 1-1-1, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577 (Japan); Hasegawa, Tetsuya [Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), 3-2-1 Sakado, Takatsu-ku, Kawasaki 213-0012 (Japan); CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan)

2014-05-30

InO{sub x}F{sub y} thin films were epitaxially grown on Y-stabilized ZrO{sub 2} (111) substrates by reactive pulsed laser deposition. By changing the substrate temperature (T{sub S}), we were able to control the fluorine content of the film. Phase-pure epitaxial thin films with bixbyite-like ordering in the anion-site occupancy were obtained at high T{sub S} (≥ 240 °C), where fluorine was inserted into the vacancy sites in the bixbyite lattice up to y / (x + y) ∼ 0.3. By decreasing T{sub S}, y / (x + y) increased and the bixbyite-like ordering disappeared; simultaneously, fluorine-rich and fluorine-poor subphases emerged. The films grown at T{sub S} ≤ 150 °C were amorphous and exhibited higher optical absorbance and electrical resistivity than the epitaxial films. - Highlights: • InO{sub x}F{sub y} epitaxial thin films with high fluorine concentration were grown on Y:ZrO{sub 2}. • Anion composition and structural, optical and transport properties were studied. • Fluorine is topotactically inserted into the oxygen vacancy sites in bixbyite cell. • Bixbyite-like ordering of the anion site occupancy was conserved in y / (x + y) ≤ ∼ 0.3.

Seed layer technique for high quality epitaxial manganite films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

P. Graziosi

2016-08-01

Full Text Available We introduce an innovative approach to the simultaneous control of growth mode and magnetotransport properties of manganite thin films, based on an easy-to-implement film/substrate interface engineering. The deposition of a manganite seed layer and the optimization of the substrate temperature allows a persistent bi-dimensional epitaxy and robust ferromagnetic properties at the same time. Structural measurements confirm that in such interface-engineered films, the optimal properties are related to improved epitaxy. A new growth scenario is envisaged, compatible with a shift from heteroepitaxy towards pseudo-homoepitaxy. Relevant growth parameters such as formation energy, roughening temperature, strain profile and chemical states are derived.

Epitaxial growth and electronic structure of oxyhydride SrVO{sub 2}H thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Katayama, Tsukasa; Chikamatsu, Akira, E-mail: chikamatsu@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp; Yamada, Keisuke; Onozuka, Tomoya [Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Shigematsu, Kei [Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 213-0012 (Japan); Minohara, Makoto; Kumigashira, Hiroshi [Institute of Materials Structure Science, High Energy Accelerator Research Organization (KEK), Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-0801 (Japan); Ikenaga, Eiji [Japan Synchrotron Radiation Research Institute (JASRI)/SPring-8, Mikazuki-cho, Hyogo 679-5198 (Japan); Hasegawa, Tetsuya [Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology, Kawasaki, Kanagawa 213-0012 (Japan)

2016-08-28

Oxyhydride SrVO{sub 2}H epitaxial thin films were fabricated on SrTiO{sub 3} substrates via topotactic hydridation of oxide SrVO{sub 3} films using CaH{sub 2}. Structural and composition analyses suggested that the SrVO{sub 2}H film possessed one-dimensionally ordered V-H{sup −}-V bonds along the out-of-plane direction. The synthesis temperature could be lowered by reducing the film thickness, and the SrVO{sub 2}H film was reversible to SrVO{sub 3} by oxidation through annealing in air. Photoemission and X-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements revealed the V{sup 3+} valence state in the SrVO{sub 2}H film, indicating that the hydrogen existed as hydride. Furthermore, the electronic density of states was highly suppressed at the Fermi energy, consistent with the prediction that tetragonal distortion induces metal to insulation transition.

Surface chemistry and growth mechanisms studies of homo epitaxial (1 0 0) GaAs by laser molecular beam epitaxy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yan Dawei; Wu Weidong; Zhang Hong; Wang Xuemin; Zhang Hongliang; Zhang Weibin; Xiong Zhengwei; Wang Yuying; Shen Changle; Peng Liping; Han Shangjun; Zhou Minjie

2011-01-01

In this paper, GaAs thin film has been deposited on thermally desorbed (1 0 0) GaAs substrate using laser molecular beam epitaxy. Scanning electron microscopy, in situ reflection high energy electron diffraction and in situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy are applied for evaluation of the surface morphology and chemistry during growth process. The results show that a high density of pits is formed on the surface of GaAs substrate after thermal treatment and the epitaxial thin film heals itself by a step flow growth, resulting in a smoother surface morphology. Moreover, it is found that the incorporation of As species into GaAs epilayer is more efficient in laser molecular beam epitaxy than conventional molecular beam epitaxy. We suggest the growth process is impacted by surface chemistry and morphology of GaAs substrate after thermal treatment and the growth mechanisms are discussed in details.

Pseudomorphic growth of organic semiconductor thin films driven by incommensurate epitaxy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sassella, A.; Campione, M.; Raimondo, L.; Borghesi, A.; Bussetti, G.; Cirilli, S.; Violante, A.; Goletti, C.; Chiaradia, P.

2009-01-01

A stable pseudomorphic phase of α-quaterthiophene, a well known organic semiconductor, is obtained by growing films with organic molecular beam epitaxy (OMBE) on a single crystal of another organic semiconductor, namely, tetracene. The structural characteristics of the new phase are investigated by monitoring in situ the OMBE process by reflectance anisotropy spectroscopy; thus assessing that incommensurate epitaxy is in this case, the driving force for tuning the molecular packing in organic molecular films and in turn, their solid state properties

Epitaxial growth of Ge-Sb-Te based phase change materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perumal, Karthick

2013-01-01

Ge-Sb-Te based phase change materials are considered as a prime candidate for optical and electrical data storage applications. With the application of an optical or electrical pulse, they can be reversibly switched between amorphous and crystalline state, thereby exhibiting large optical and electrical contrast between the two phases, which are then stored as information in the form of binary digits. Single crystalline growth is interesting from both the academic and industrial perspective, as ordered Ge-Sb-Te based metamaterials are known to exhibit switching at reduced energies. The present study deals with the epitaxial growth and analysis of Ge-Sb-Te based thin films. The first part of the thesis deals with the epitaxial growth of GeTe. Thin films of GeTe were grown on highly mismatched Si(111) and (001) substrates. On both the substrate orientations the film grows along [111] direction with an amorphous-to-crystalline transition observed during the initial stages of growth. The amorphous-to-crystalline transition was studied in-vivo using azimuthal reflection high-energy electron diffraction scans and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction. In the second part of the thesis epitaxy and characterization of Sb 2 Te 3 thin films are presented. The third part of the thesis deals with the epitaxy of ternary Ge-Sb-Te alloys. The composition of the films are shown to be highly dependent on growth temperatures and vary along the pseudobinary line from Sb 2 Te 3 to GeTe with increase in growth temperatures. A line-of-sight quadrupole mass spectrometer was used to reliably control the GeSbTe growth temperature. Growth was performed at different Ge, Sb, Te fluxes to study the compositional variation of the films. Incommensurate peaks are observed along the [111] direction by X-ray diffraction. The possibility of superstructural vacancy ordering along the [111] direction is discussed.

Synchrotron X-ray studies of epitaxial ferroelectric thin films and nanostructures

Science.gov (United States)

Klug, Jeffrey A.

The study of ferroelectric thin films is a field of considerable scientific and technological interest. In this dissertation synchrotron x-ray techniques were applied to examine the effects of lateral confinement and epitaxial strain in ferroelectric thin films and nanostructures. Three materials systems were investigated: laterally confined epitaxial BiFeO3 nanostructures on SrTiO3 (001), ultra-thin commensurate SrTiO 3 films on Si (001), and coherently strained films of BaTiO3 on DyScO3 (110). Epitaxial films of BiFeO3 were deposited by radio frequency magnetron sputtering on SrRuO3 coated SrTiO 3 (001) substrates. Laterally confined nanostructures were fabricated using focused ion-beam processing and subsequently characterized with focused beam x-ray nanodiffraction measurements with unprecedented spatial resolution. Results from a series of rectangular nanostructures with lateral dimensions between 500 nm and 1 mum and a comparably-sized region of the unpatterned BiFeO3 film revealed qualitatively similar distributions of local strain and lattice rotation with a 2-3 times larger magnitude of variation observed in those of the nanostructures compared to the unpatterned film. This indicates that lateral confinement leads to enhanced variation in the local strain and lattice rotation fields in epitaxial BiFeO3 nanostructures. A commensurate 2 nm thick film of SrTiO3 on Si was characterized by the x-ray standing wave (XSW) technique to determine the Sr and Ti cation positions in the strained unit cell in order to verify strain-induced ferroelectricity in SrTiO3/Si. A Si (004) XSW measurement at 10°C indicated that the average Ti displacement from the midpoint between Sr planes was consistent in magnitude to that predicted by a density functional theory (DFT) calculated ferroelectric structure. The Ti displacement determined from a 35°C measurement better matched a DFT-predicted nonpolar structure. The thin film extension of the XSW technique was employed to

Preparation and properties of thin films treatise on materials science and technology

CERN Document Server

Tu, K N

1982-01-01

Treatise on Materials Science and Technology, Volume 24: Preparation and Properties of Thin Films covers the progress made in the preparation of thin films and the corresponding study of their properties. The book discusses the preparation and property correlations in thin film; the variation of microstructure of thin films; and the molecular beam epitaxy of superlattices in thin film. The text also describes the epitaxial growth of silicon structures (thermal-, laser-, and electron-beam-induced); the characterization of grain boundaries in bicrystalline thin films; and the mechanical properti

Growth of pseudomorphic structures through organic epitaxy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kaviyil, Sreejith Embekkat; Sassella, Adele; Borghesi, Alessandro; Campione, Marcello; Su Genbo; He Youping; Chen Chenjia

2012-01-01

The control of molecular orientation in thin solid film phases of organic semiconductors is a basic factor for the exploitation of their physical properties for optoelectronic devices. We compare structural and optical properties of thin films of the organic semiconductor α-quarterthiophene grown by molecular beam epitaxy on different organic substrates. We show how epitactic interactions, characteristic of the surface of organic crystals, can drive the orientation of the crystalline overlayer and the selection of specific polymorphs and new pseudomorphic phases. We identify a key role in this phenomenon played by the marked groove-like corrugations present in some organic crystal surfaces. Since different polymorphs possess rather different performance in terms of, e.g., charge carrier mobility, this strategy is demonstrated to allow for the growth of oriented phases with enhanced physical properties, while keeping the substrate at room temperature. These results provide useful guidelines for the design of technological substrates for organic epitaxy and they substantiate the adoption of an organic epitaxy approach for the fabrication of optoelectronic devices based on thin films of organic semiconductors.

Epitaxial growth of metallic buffer layer structure and c-axis oriented Pb(Mn1/3,Nb2/3)O3-Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 thin film on Si for high performance piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer

Science.gov (United States)

Thao, Pham Ngoc; Yoshida, Shinya; Tanaka, Shuji

2017-12-01

This paper reports on the development of a metallic buffer layer structure, (100) SrRuO3 (SRO)/(100) Pt/(100) Ir/(100) yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) layers for the epitaxial growth of a c-axis oriented Pb(Mn1/3,Nb2/3)O3-Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PMnN-PZT) thin film on a (100) Si wafer for piezoelectric micro-electro mechanical systems (MEMS) application. The stacking layers were epitaxially grown on a Si substrate under the optimal deposition condition. A crack-free PMnN-PZT epitaxial thin films was obtained at a thickness up to at least 1.7 µm, which is enough for MEMS applications. The unimorph MEMS cantilevers based on the PMnN-PZT thin film were fabricated and characterized. As a result, the PMnN-PZT thin film exhibited -10 to -12 C/m2 as a piezoelectric coefficient e 31,f and ˜250 as a dielectric constants ɛr. The resultant FOM for piezoelectric micromachined ultrasonic transducer (pMUT) is higher than those of general PZT and AlN thin films. This structure has a potential to provide high-performance pMUTs.

Direct growth of superconducting NdFeAs(O,F) thin films by MBE

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chihara, Masashi, E-mail: chihara@iku.xtal.nagoya-u.ac.jp [Department of Crystalline Materials Science, Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603 (Japan); Sumiya, Naoki; Arai, Kenta [Department of Crystalline Materials Science, Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603 (Japan); Ichinose, Ataru; Tsukada, Ichiro [Central Research Institute of Electric Power Industry, Yokosuka-shi, Kanagawa 240-0101 (Japan); Hatano, Takafumi; Iida, Kazumasa; Ikuta, Hiroshi [Department of Crystalline Materials Science, Nagoya University, Chikusa-ku, Nagoya 464-8603 (Japan)

2015-11-15

Highlights: • Highly textured NdFeAs(O,F) thin films were obtained by a direct growth method. • Enhancing the migration was crucial to realize the direct growth. • The critical current density exceeded 3 MA/cm{sup 2} at self-field and 1 MA/cm{sup 2} at 9 T. • A two-dimensional growth was confirmed by the observation of surface morphology. - Abstract: We report on the growth of NdFeAs(O,F) superconducting thin films by molecular beam epitaxy without having a NdOF secondary layer that was necessary for fluorine doping in our previous studies. The key to realizing the direct growth of a superconducting film was the enhancement of migration of the raw materials on the substrate, which was accomplished by two steps. Firstly, we increased the growth temperature that improved the crystalline quality of parent NdFeAsO thin films. Secondly, the atmosphere in the chamber during the growth was improved by changing the crucible material of the Fe source cell. Highly textured NdFeAs(O,F) thin films with critical temperatures up to 50 K were obtained, and terraces were observed by atomic force microscope, indicating a two-dimensional growth. However, precipitates were also found on the surface, which suggests that enhancing further the migration is necessary for obtaining a NdFeAs(O,F) thin film with a better quality.

Strain Induced Magnetism in SrRuO3 Epitaxial Thin Films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Grutter, A.; Wong, F.; Arenholz, E.; Liberati, M.; Suzuki, Y.

2010-01-10

Epitaxial SrRuO{sub 3} thin films were grown on SrTiO{sub 3}, (LaAlO{sub 3}){sub 0.3}(SrAlO{sub 3}){sub 0.7} and LaAlO{sub 3} substrates inducing different biaxial compressive strains. Coherently strained SrRuO{sub 3} films exhibit enhanced magnetization compared to previously reported bulk and thin film values of 1.1-1.6 {micro}{sub B} per formula unit. A comparison of (001) and (110) SrRuO{sub 3} films on each substrate indicates that films on (110) oriented have consistently higher saturated moments than corresponding (001) films. These observations indicate the importance of lattice distortions in controlling the magnetic ground state in this transitional metal oxide.

Scintillation efficiency and X-ray imaging with the RE-Doped LuAG thin films grown by liquid phase epitaxy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tous, Jan; Blazek, Karel; Kucera, Miroslav; Nikl, Martin; Mares, Jiri A.

2012-01-01

Very thin scintillator imaging plates have recently become of great interest. In high resolution X-ray radiography, very thin scintillator layers of about 5–20 μm are used to achieve 2D-spatial resolutions below 1 μm. Thin screens can be prepared by mechanical polishing from single crystals or by epitaxial growth on single-crystal substrates using the Liquid Phase Epitaxy technique (LPE). Other types of screens (e.g. deposited powder) do no reach required spatial resolutions. This work compares LPE-grown YAG and LuAG scintillator films doped with different rare earth ions (Cerium, Terbium and Europium). Two different fluxes were used in the LPE growth procedure. These LPE films are compared to YAG:Ce and LuAG:Ce screens made from bulk single crystals. Relative light yield was detected by a highly sensitive CCD camera. Scintillator screens were excited by a micro-focus X-ray source and the generated light was gathered by the CCD camera’s optical system. Scintillator 2D-homogeneity is examined in an X-ray imaging setup also using the CCD camera.

Interface formation and defect structures in epitaxial La2Zr2O7 thin films on (111) Si

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Seo, J.W.; Fompeyrine, J.; Guiller, A.; Norga, G.; Marchiori, C.; Siegwart, H.; Locquet, J.-P.

2003-01-01

We have studied the growth of epitaxial La 2 Zr 2 O 7 thin films on (111) Si. Although the interface structure can be strongly affected by the Si oxidation during the deposition process, epitaxial growth of La 2 Zr 2 O 7 was obtained. A detailed study by means of transmission electron microscopy reveals two types of structures (pyrochlore and fluorite) with the same average chemical composition but strong differences in reactivity and interface formation. The structural complexity of the ordered pyrochlore structure seems to prevent excess oxygen diffusion and interfacial SiO 2 formation

Strain dependent microstructural modifications of BiCrO{sub 3} epitaxial thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kannan, Vijayanandhini, E-mail: kvnandhini@gmail.com [Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Weinberg 2, D-06120 Halle (Saale) (Germany); CNRS, University of Bordeaux, ICMCB, UPR 9048, F-33600 Pessac (France); Arredondo, Miryam; Johann, Florian; Hesse, Dietrich [Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Weinberg 2, D-06120 Halle (Saale) (Germany); Labrugere, Christine [CNRS, University of Bordeaux, ICMCB, UPR 9048, F-33600 Pessac (France); CeCaMA, University of Bordeaux, ICMCB, F-33600 Pessac (France); Maglione, Mario [CNRS, University of Bordeaux, ICMCB, UPR 9048, F-33600 Pessac (France); Vrejoiu, Ionela [Max Planck Institute of Microstructure Physics, Weinberg 2, D-06120 Halle (Saale) (Germany)

2013-10-31

Strain-dependent microstructural modifications were observed in epitaxial BiCrO{sub 3} (BCO) thin films fabricated on single crystalline substrates, utilizing pulsed laser deposition. The following conditions were employed to modify the epitaxial-strain: (i) in-plane tensile strain, BCO{sub STO} [BCO grown on buffered SrTiO{sub 3} (001)] and in-plane compressive strain, BCO{sub NGO} [BCO grown on buffered NdGaO{sub 3} (110)] and (ii) varying BCO film thickness. A combination of techniques like X-ray diffraction, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) and high resolution transmission electron microscopy (TEM) was used to analyse the epitaxial growth quality and the microstructure of BCO. Our studies revealed that in the case of BCO{sub STO}, a coherent interface with homogeneous orthorhombic phase is obtained only for BCO film with thicknesses, d < 50 nm. All the BCO{sub STO} films with d ≥ 50 nm were found to be strain-relaxed with an orthorhombic phase showing 1/2 <100> and 1/4 <101> satellite reflections, the latter oriented at 45° from orthorhombic diffraction spots. High angle annular dark field scanning TEM of these films strongly suggested that the satellite reflections, 1/2 <100> and 1/4 <101>, originate from the atomic stacking sequence changes (or “modulated structure”) as reported for polytypes, without altering the chemical composition. The unaltered stoichiometry was confirmed by estimating both valency of Bi and Cr cations by surface and in-depth XPS analysis as well as the stoichiometric ratio (1 Bi:1 Cr) using scanning TEM–energy dispersive X-ray analysis. In contrast, compressively strained BCO{sub NGO} films exhibited monoclinic symmetry without any structural modulations or interfacial defects, up to d ∼ 200 nm. Our results indicate that both the substrate-induced in-plane epitaxial strain and the BCO film thickness are the crucial parameters to stabilise a homogeneous BCO phase in an epitaxially grown film. - Highlights: • Phase pure

Growth of Ca2MnO4 Ruddlesden-Popper structured thin films using combinatorial substrate epitaxy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lacotte, M.; David, A.; Pravarthana, D.; Prellier, W.; Grygiel, C.; Rohrer, G. S.; Salvador, P. A.; Velazquez, M.; Kloe, R. de

2014-01-01

The local epitaxial growth of pulsed laser deposited Ca 2 MnO 4 films on polycrystalline spark plasma sintered Sr 2 TiO 4 substrates was investigated to determine phase formation and preferred epitaxial orientation relationships (ORs) for isostructural Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) heteroepitaxy, further developing the high-throughput synthetic approach called Combinatorial Substrate Epitaxy (CSE). Both grazing incidence X-ray diffraction and electron backscatter diffraction patterns of the film and substrate were indexable as single-phase RP-structured compounds. The optimal growth temperature (between 650 °C and 800 °C) was found to be 750 °C using the maximum value of the average image quality of the backscattered diffraction patterns. Films grew in a grain-over-grain pattern such that each Ca 2 MnO 4 grain had a single OR with the Sr 2 TiO 4 grain on which it grew. Three primary ORs described 47 out of 49 grain pairs that covered nearly all of RP orientation space. The first OR, found for 20 of the 49, was the expected RP unit-cell over RP unit-cell OR, expressed as [100][001] film ||[100][001] sub . The other two ORs were essentially rotated from the first by 90°, with one (observed for 17 of 49 pairs) being rotated about the [100] and the other (observed for 10 of 49 pairs) being rotated about the [110] (and not exactly by 90°). These results indicate that only a small number of ORs are needed to describe isostructural RP heteroepitaxy and further demonstrate the potential of CSE in the design and growth of a wide range of complex functional oxides

Fluorination of an epitaxial YBaCuO thin film with controlled oxygen vacancies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perrin, C. (Lab. de Chimie du Solide et Inorganique Moleculaire, Univ. de Rennes 1, 35 (France)); Pena, O. (Lab. de Chimie du Solide et Inorganique Moleculaire, Univ. de Rennes 1, 35 (France)); Mokhtari, M. (Lab. de Chimie du Solide et Inorganique Moleculaire, Univ. de Rennes 1, 35 (France)); Thivet, C. (Lab. de Chimie du Solide et Inorganique Moleculaire, Univ. de Rennes 1, 35 (France)); Guilloux-Viry, M. (Lab. de Chimie du Solide et Inorganique Moleculaire, Univ. de Rennes 1, 35 (France)); Perrin, A. (Lab. de Chimie du Solide et Inorganique Moleculaire, Univ. de Rennes 1, 35 (France)); Sergent, M. (Lab. de Chimie du Solide et Inorganique Moleculaire, Univ. de Rennes 1, 35 (France))

1993-05-10

An intentionally oxygen-deficient thin film, epitaxially grown in-situ on a (100) MgO substrate by laser ablation at 750 C under a low pressure oxygen atmosphere, has been treated under NF[sub 3] diluted in N[sub 2] at temperatures not exceeding 280 C. During the fluorination process the epitaxy of the thin film is maintained; its Tc onset progressively increases from 54 K up to 85.6 K and the width of the inductive transition is narrow at the end of treatment (1.2 K). These results are discussed and compared to those obtained during the fluorination of oxygen-deficient YBa[sub 2]Cu[sub 3]O[sub x] ceramics. (orig.)

A novel epitaxially grown LSO-based thin-film scintillator for micro-imaging using hard synchrotron radiation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Douissard, P.A.; Martin, T.; Chevalier, V.; Rack, A. [European Synchrotron Radiat Facil, F-38043 Grenoble, (France); Cecilia, A.; Baumbach, T.; Rack, A. [Karlsruhe Inst Technol ANKA, D-76021 Karlsruhe, (Germany); Couchaud, M. [CEA LETI, F-38054 Grenoble, (France); Dupre, K. [FEE GmbH, D-55743 Idar Oberstein, (Germany); Kuhbacher, M. [Helmholtz Zentrum Berlin Mat and Energie, D-14109 Berlin, (Germany)

2010-07-01

The efficiency of high-resolution pixel detectors for hard X-rays is nowadays one of the major criteria which drives the feasibility of imaging experiments and in general the performance of an experimental station for synchrotron-based microtomography and radiography. Here the luminescent screen used for the indirect detection is focused on in order to increase the detective quantum efficiency a novel scintillator based on doped Lu{sub 2}SiO{sub 5} (LSO), epitaxially grown as thin film via the liquid phase epitaxy technique. It is shown that, by using adapted growth and doping parameters as well as a dedicated substrate, the scintillation behaviour of a LSO-based thin crystal together with the high stopping power of the material allows for high-performance indirect X-ray detection. In detail, the conversion efficiency, the radioluminescence spectra, the optical absorption spectra under UV/visible-light and the afterglow are investigated. A set-up to study the effect of the thin-film scintillator's temperature on its conversion efficiency is described as well it delivers knowledge which is important when working with higher photon flux densities and the corresponding high heat load on the material. Additionally, X-ray imaging systems based on different diffraction-limited visible-light optics and CCD cameras using among others LSO-based thin film are compared. Finally, the performance of the LSO thin film is illustrated by imaging a honey bee leg, demonstrating the value of efficient high-resolution computed tomography for life sciences. (authors)

Epitaxial growth of Ge-Sb-Te based phase change materials

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perumal, Karthick

2013-07-30

Ge-Sb-Te based phase change materials are considered as a prime candidate for optical and electrical data storage applications. With the application of an optical or electrical pulse, they can be reversibly switched between amorphous and crystalline state, thereby exhibiting large optical and electrical contrast between the two phases, which are then stored as information in the form of binary digits. Single crystalline growth is interesting from both the academic and industrial perspective, as ordered Ge-Sb-Te based metamaterials are known to exhibit switching at reduced energies. The present study deals with the epitaxial growth and analysis of Ge-Sb-Te based thin films. The first part of the thesis deals with the epitaxial growth of GeTe. Thin films of GeTe were grown on highly mismatched Si(111) and (001) substrates. On both the substrate orientations the film grows along [111] direction with an amorphous-to-crystalline transition observed during the initial stages of growth. The amorphous-to-crystalline transition was studied in-vivo using azimuthal reflection high-energy electron diffraction scans and grazing incidence X-ray diffraction. In the second part of the thesis epitaxy and characterization of Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} thin films are presented. The third part of the thesis deals with the epitaxy of ternary Ge-Sb-Te alloys. The composition of the films are shown to be highly dependent on growth temperatures and vary along the pseudobinary line from Sb{sub 2}Te{sub 3} to GeTe with increase in growth temperatures. A line-of-sight quadrupole mass spectrometer was used to reliably control the GeSbTe growth temperature. Growth was performed at different Ge, Sb, Te fluxes to study the compositional variation of the films. Incommensurate peaks are observed along the [111] direction by X-ray diffraction. The possibility of superstructural vacancy ordering along the [111] direction is discussed.

Initial stages of the ion-beam assisted epitaxial GaN film growth on 6H-SiC(0001)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neumann, L.; Gerlach, J.W.; Rauschenbach, B.

2012-01-01

Ultra-thin gallium nitride (GaN) films were deposited using the ion-beam assisted molecular-beam epitaxy technique. The influence of the nitrogen ion to gallium atom flux ratio (I/A ratio) during the early stages of GaN nucleation and thin film growth directly, without a buffer layer on super-polished 6H-SiC(0001) substrates was studied. The deposition process was performed at a constant substrate temperature of 700 °C by evaporation of Ga and irradiation with hyperthermal nitrogen ions from a constricted glow-discharge ion source. The hyperthermal nitrogen ion flux was kept constant and the kinetic energy of the ions did not exceed 25 eV. The selection of different I/A ratios in the range from 0.8 to 3.2 was done by varying the Ga deposition rate between 5 × 10 13 and 2 × 10 14 at. cm −2 s −1 . The crystalline surface structure during the GaN growth was monitored in situ by reflection high-energy electron diffraction. The surface topography of the films as well as the morphology of separated GaN islands on the substrate surface was examined after film growth using a scanning tunneling microscope without interruption of ultra-high vacuum. The results show, that the I/A ratio has a major impact on the properties of the resulting ultra-thin GaN films. The growth mode, the surface roughness, the degree of GaN coverage of the substrate and the polytype mixture depend notably on the I/A ratio. - Highlights: ► Ultra-thin epitaxial GaN films prepared by hyperthermal ion-beam assisted deposition. ► Surface structure and topography studied during and after initial growth stages. ► Growth mode dependent on nitrogen ion to gallium atom flux ratio. ► Change from three-dimensional to two-dimensional growth for Ga-rich growth conditions.

Avoiding polar catastrophe in the growth of polarly orientated nickel perovskite thin films by reactive oxide molecular beam epitaxy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, H. F.; Liu, Z. T.; Fan, C. C.; Xiang, P.; Zhang, K. L.; Li, M. Y.; Liu, J. S.; Yao, Q.; Shen, D. W.

2016-01-01

By means of the state-of-the-art reactive oxide molecular beam epitaxy, we synthesized (001)- and (111)-orientated polar LaNiO 3 thin films. In order to avoid the interfacial reconstructions induced by polar catastrophe, screening metallic Nb-doped SrTiO 3 and iso-polarity LaAlO 3 substrates were chosen to achieve high-quality (001)-orientated films in a layer-by-layer growth mode. For largely polar (111)-orientated films, we showed that iso-polarity LaAlO 3 (111) substrate was more suitable than Nb-doped SrTiO 3 . In situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction, ex situ high-resolution X-ray diffraction, and atomic force microscopy were used to characterize these films. Our results show that special attentions need to be paid to grow high-quality oxide films with polar orientations, which can prompt the explorations of all-oxide electronics and artificial interfacial engineering to pursue intriguing emergent physics like proposed interfacial superconductivity and topological phases in LaNiO 3 based superlattices.

Effect of growth temperature on the epitaxial growth of ZnO on GaN by ALD

Science.gov (United States)

Särkijärvi, Suvi; Sintonen, Sakari; Tuomisto, Filip; Bosund, Markus; Suihkonen, Sami; Lipsanen, Harri

2014-07-01

We report on the epitaxial growth of ZnO on GaN template by atomic layer deposition (ALD). Diethylzinc (DEZn) and water vapour (H2O) were used as precursors. The structure and the quality of the grown ZnO layers were studied with scanning electron microscope (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), photoluminescence (PL) measurements and positron annihilation spectroscopy. The ZnO films were confirmed epitaxial, and the film quality was found to improve with increasing deposition temperature in the vicinity of the threshold temperature of two dimensional growth. We conclude that high quality ZnO thin films can be grown by ALD. Interestingly only separate Zn-vacancies were observed in the films, although ZnO thin films typically contain fairly high density of surface pits and vacancy clusters.

Synthesis and electronic properties of Fe2TiO5 epitaxial thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Osada, Motoki; Nishio, Kazunori; Hwang, Harold Y.; Hikita, Yasuyuki

2018-05-01

We investigate the growth phase diagram of pseudobrookite Fe2TiO5 epitaxial thin films on LaAlO3 (001) substrates using pulsed laser deposition. Control of the oxygen partial pressure and temperature during deposition enabled selective stabilization of (100)- and (230)-oriented films. In this regime, we find an optical gap of 2.1 eV and room temperature resistivity in the range of 20-80 Ω cm, which are significantly lower than α-Fe2O3, making Fe2TiO5 potentially an ideal inexpensive visible-light harvesting semiconductor. These results provide a basis to incorporate Fe2TiO5 in oxide heterostructures for photocatalytic and photoelectrochemical applications.

Nanosheet controlled epitaxial growth of PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 thin films on glass substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Bayraktar, M.; Chopra, A.; Bijkerk, F.; Rijnders, G.

2014-09-01

Integration of PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 (PZT) films on glass substrates is of high importance for device applications. However, to make use of the superior ferro- and piezoelectric properties of PZT, well-oriented crystalline or epitaxial growth with control of the crystal orientation is a prerequisite. In this article, we report on epitaxial growth of PZT films with (100)- and (110)-orientation achieved by utilizing Ca2Nb3O10 (CNO) and Ti0.87O2 (TO) nanosheets as crystalline buffer layers. Fatigue measurements demonstrated stable ferroelectric properties of these films up to 5 × 109 cycles. (100)-oriented PZT films on CNO nanosheets show a large remnant polarization of 21 μC/cm2 that is the highest remnant polarization value compared to (110)-oriented and polycrystalline films reported in this work. A piezoelectric response of 98 pm/V is observed for (100)-oriented PZT film which is higher than the values reported in the literature on Si substrates.

Epitaxial integration of CoFe2O4 thin films on Si (001) surfaces using TiN buffer layers

Science.gov (United States)

Prieto, Pilar; Marco, José F.; Prieto, José E.; Ruiz-Gomez, Sandra; Perez, Lucas; del Real, Rafael P.; Vázquez, Manuel; de la Figuera, Juan

2018-04-01

Epitaxial cobalt ferrite thin films with strong in-plane magnetic anisotropy have been grown on Si (001) substrates using a TiN buffer layer. The epitaxial films have been grown by ion beam sputtering using either metallic, CoFe2, or ceramic, CoFe2O4, targets. X-ray diffraction (XRD) and Rutherford spectrometry (RBS) in random and channeling configuration have been used to determine the epitaxial relationship CoFe2O4 [100]/TiN [100]/Si [100]. Mössbauer spectroscopy, in combination with XRD and RBS, has been used to determine the composition and structure of the cobalt ferrite thin films. The TiN buffer layer induces a compressive strain in the cobalt ferrite thin films giving rise to an in-plane magnetic anisotropy. The degree of in-plane anisotropy depends on the lattice mismatch between CoFe2O4 and TiN, which is larger for CoFe2O4 thin films grown on the reactive sputtering process with ceramic targets.

Stabilisation of late transition metal and noble metal films in hexagonal and body centred tetragonal phases by epitaxial growth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hueger, E.

2005-08-26

In this work ultrathin metallic films with a crystal phase different to their natural bulk structure were produced by hetero-epitaxial growth on metallic substrates. A further aim of this work was to understand the initiation, growth and stability of crystal phase modifications of these films. there exist cases where the films turn beyond the pseudomorphic-growth to a crystal phase different from their natural bulk structure. The present work presents and discusses such a case in addition to the general phenomenon of pseudomorphic-growth. In particular it is shown that metals whose natural phase is face centred cubic (fcc) can be grown in body centred tetragonal (bct) or hexagonal close packed (hcp) phases in the form of thin films on (001) surfaces of appropriate substrates. The growth behavior, electron diffraction analysis, appearance conditions, geometric fit considerations, examples and a discussion of the phase stability of non-covered films and superlattices is given reviewing all epitaxial-systems whose diffraction pattern can be explained by the hexagonal or pseudomorphic bct phase. (orig.)

Superconducting thin films of As-free pnictide LaPd{sub 1-x}Sb{sub 2} grown by reactive molecular beam epitaxy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Retzlaff, Reiner; Buckow, Alexander; Kurian, Jose; Alff, Lambert [Institute of Materials Science, Technische Universitaet Darmstadt, Petersenstr. 23, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany)

2013-07-01

We use reactive molecular beam epitaxy as synthesis technique for the search of arsenic free pnictide superconductors. Epitaxial thin films of LaPd{sub 1-x}Sb{sub 2} were grown on (100) MgO substrates from elemental sources by simultaneous evaporation of high purity La, Pd and Sb metals by e-gun. LaPd{sub 1-x}Sb{sub 2} belongs to a novel class of pnictide superconductors with a peculiar pnictide square net layer. Previously, we have reported epitaxial growth of isostructural Bi based compounds. The substitution of Bi by Sb leads to thin films with metallic behavior and room temperature resistivity of about 85 μΩ cm. The highest observed transition temperature T{sub c} inLaPd{sub 1-x}Sb{sub 2} is 3.1 K and does not depend on x. We discuss strategies to increase T{sub c} in this pnictide subfamily.

Growth of ultra-thin Ag films on Ni(111)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meyer, Axel; Flege, Jan Ingo; Falta, Jens [Institute of Solid State Physics, University of Bremen, 28359 Bremen (Germany); Senanayake, Sanjaya [Chemistry Department, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, NY 11973-5000 (United States); Alamgir, Faisal [Georgia Institute of Technology, Atlanta, GA 30332-0245 (United States)

2009-07-01

The physical and chemical properties of ultra-thin metal films on metallic substrates strongly depend on their morphology and the structure of the buried interface. Hence, detailed knowledge of the growth mechanisms is essential for the creation of new functional materials with novel characteristics. In this contribution, we present a comprehensive structural study of the growth and properties of epitaxial Ag films on Ni(111) by in-situ low energy electron microscopy (LEEM). For lower temperatures, the growth of the Ag film proceeds in a Stranski-Krastanov mode after completion of the wetting layer, while for higher temperatures layer-by-layer growth is observed. Quantitative information about the film structure were obtained by analyzing the intensity-voltage (I-V) dependence of the local electron reflectivity (IV-LEEM). The corresponding I(V) spectra showed intensity oscillations depending on local thickness of the Ag film due to the quantum size effect (QSE). Modeling of the I(V) spectra was performed both within the framework of a one-dimensional Kronig-Penney model and multiple scattering IV-LEED calculations. The results of both approaches concerning the variation of the layer spacings and interface characteristics for different temperatures and film thicknesses will be discussed.

Crystallography and Growth of Epitaxial Oxide Films for Fundamental Studies of Cathode Materials Used in Advanced Li-Ion Batteries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Leonid A. Bendersky

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Li-ion battery systems, synthesized as epitaxial thin films, can provide powerful insights into their electrochemical processes. Crystallographic analysis shows that many important cathode oxides have an underlying similarity: their structures can be considered as different ordering schemes of Li and transition metal ions within a pseudo-cubic sublattice of oxygen anions arranged in a face-center cubic (FCC fashion. This oxygen sublattice is compatible with SrTiO3 and similar perovskite oxides, thus perovskites can be used as supporting substrates for growing epitaxial cathode films. The predicted epitaxial growth and crystallographic relations were experimentally verified for different oxide films deposited by pulsed laser deposition (PLD on SrTiO3 or SrRuO3/SrTiO3 of different orientations. The results based on cross-sectional high-resolution TEM of the following films are presented in the paper: (a trigonal LiCoO2; (b orthorhombic LiMnO2; (c monoclinic Li2MnO3; (d compositionally-complex monoclinic Li1.2Mn0.55Ni0.15Co0.1O2. All results demonstrated the feasibility of epitaxial growth for these materials, with the growth following the predicted cube-on-cube orientation relationship between the cubic and pseudo-cubic oxygen sublattices of a substrate and a film, respectively.

Bi-epitaxial YBa2Cu3Ox Thin Films on Tilted-axes NdGaO3 Substrates with CeO2 Seeding Layer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mozhaev, P B; Mozhaeva, J E; Jacobsen, C S; Hansen, J Bindslev; Bdikin, I K; Luzanov, V A; Kotelyanskii, I M; Zybtsev, S G

2006-01-01

Bi-epitaxial YBa 2 Cu 3 O x (YBCO) thin films with out-of-plane tilt angle in the range 18 - 27 0 were manufactured using pulsed laser deposition on NdGaO 3 tilted-axes substrates with CeO 2 seeding layers. The YBCO thin film orientation over the seeding layer depended on deposition conditions. Removal of the seeding layer from part of the substrate surface by ionbeam etching resulted in formation of a bi-epitaxial thin film with different c-axis orientation of two parts of the film. The bi-epitaxial film orientation and structure were studied using X-ray diffraction techniques, and surface morphology was observed with atomic force microscope (AFM). Photolithography and ion-beam etching techniques were used for patterning bi-epitaxial thin films. Electrical characterization of the obtained structures was performed

Epitaxial growth and characterization of CuGa2O4 films by laser molecular beam epitaxy

OpenAIRE

Hongling Wei; Zhengwei Chen; Zhenping Wu; Wei Cui; Yuanqi Huang; Weihua Tang

2017-01-01

Ga2O3 with a wide bandgap of ∼ 4.9 eV can crystalize in five crystalline phases. Among those phases, the most stable monoclinic β-Ga2O3 has been studied most, however, it is hard to find materials lattice matching with β-Ga2O3 to grown epitaxial thin films for optoelectronic applications. In this work, CuGa2O4 bulk were prepared by solid state reaction as target, and the films were deposited on sapphire substrates by laser molecular beam epitaxy (L-MBE) at different substrate temperatures. Th...

Atomic layer epitaxy of ZnO for applications in molecular beam epitaxy growth of GaN and InGaN

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Godlewski, M.; Szczerbakow, A.; Ivanov, V. Yu.; Barski, A.; Goldys, E.M.

2000-01-01

We report the successful atomic layer epitaxy growth of thin ZnO films and their use for GaN and InGaN epitaxy. The properties of ZnO epilayers, obtained by four different procedures, are analysed, as well as of GaN and InGaN films grown on ZnO-coated Si and GaAs by MBE. (author)

Epitaxial Fe16N2 thin film on nonmagnetic seed layer

Science.gov (United States)

Hang, Xudong; Zhang, Xiaowei; Ma, Bin; Lauter, Valeria; Wang, Jian-Ping

2018-05-01

Metastable α″ -Fe16N2 has attracted much interest as a candidate for rare-earth-free hard magnetic materials. We demonstrate that Fe16N2 thin films were grown epitaxially on Cr seed layers with MgO (001) substrates by facing-target sputtering. Good crystallinity with the epitaxial relation MgO (001 )[110 ] ∥ Cr (001 )[100 ] ∥ Fe16N2 (001 )[100 ] was obtained. The chemical order parameter, which quantifies the degree of N ordering in the Fe16N2 (the N-disordered phase is α' -Fe8N martensite), reaches 0.75 for Cr-seeded samples. Cr has a perfect lattice constant match with Fe16N2, and no noticeable strain can be assigned to Fe16N2. The intrinsic saturation magnetization of this non-strained Fe16N2 thin film at room temperature is determined to be 2.31 T by polarized neutron reflectometry and confirmed with vibrating sample magnetometry. Our work provides a platform to directly study the magnetic properties of high purity Fe16N2 films with a high order parameter.

Metallic transport and large anomalous Hall effect at room temperature in ferrimagnetic Mn4N epitaxial thin film

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shen, Xi; Shigematsu, Kei; Chikamatsu, Akira; Fukumura, Tomoteru; Hirose, Yasushi; Hasegawa, Tetsuya

2014-01-01

We report the electrical transport properties of ferrimagnetic Mn 4 N (001) epitaxial thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition on MgO (001) substrates. The Mn 4 N thin films were tetragonally distorted with a ratio of out-of-plane to in-plane lattice constants of 0.987 and showed perpendicular magnetic anisotropy with an effective magnetic anisotropy constant of 0.16 MJ/m 3 , which is comparable with that of a recently reported molecular-beam-epitaxy-grown film. The thin films exhibited metallic transport with a room temperature resistivity of 125 μΩ cm in addition to a large anomalous Hall effect with a Hall angle tangent of 0.023.

Resistance switching in epitaxial SrCoOx thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Tambunan, Octolia T.; Parwanta, Kadek J.; Acharya, Susant K.; Lee, Bo Wha; Jung, Chang Uk; Kim, Yeon Soo; Park, Bae Ho; Jeong, Huiseong; Park, Ji-Yong; Cho, Myung Rae; Park, Yun Daniel; Choi, Woo Seok; Kim, Dong-Wook; Jin, Hyunwoo; Lee, Suyoun; Song, Seul Ji; Kang, Sung-Jin; Kim, Miyoung; Hwang, Cheol Seong

2014-08-01

We observed bipolar switching behavior from an epitaxial strontium cobaltite film grown on a SrTiO3 (001) substrate. The crystal structure of strontium cobaltite has been known to undergo topotactic phase transformation between two distinct phases: insulating brownmillerite (SrCoO2.5) and conducting perovskite (SrCoO3-δ) depending on the oxygen content. The current-voltage characteristics of the strontium cobaltite film showed that it could have a reversible insulator-to-metal transition triggered by electrical bias voltage. We propose that the resistance switching in the SrCoOx thin film could be related to the topotactic phase transformation and the peculiar structure of SrCoO2.5.

Resistance switching in epitaxial SrCoOx thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tambunan, Octolia T.; Parwanta, Kadek J.; Acharya, Susant K.; Lee, Bo Wha; Jung, Chang Uk; Kim, Yeon Soo; Park, Bae Ho; Jeong, Huiseong; Park, Ji-Yong; Cho, Myung Rae; Park, Yun Daniel; Choi, Woo Seok; Kim, Dong-Wook; Jin, Hyunwoo; Lee, Suyoun; Song, Seul Ji; Kang, Sung-Jin; Kim, Miyoung; Hwang, Cheol Seong

2014-01-01

We observed bipolar switching behavior from an epitaxial strontium cobaltite film grown on a SrTiO 3 (001) substrate. The crystal structure of strontium cobaltite has been known to undergo topotactic phase transformation between two distinct phases: insulating brownmillerite (SrCoO 2.5 ) and conducting perovskite (SrCoO 3−δ ) depending on the oxygen content. The current–voltage characteristics of the strontium cobaltite film showed that it could have a reversible insulator-to-metal transition triggered by electrical bias voltage. We propose that the resistance switching in the SrCoO x thin film could be related to the topotactic phase transformation and the peculiar structure of SrCoO 2.5

Single orientation graphene synthesized on iridium thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dangwal Pandey, A., E-mail: arti.pandey@desy.de; Grånäs, E.; Shayduk, R.; Noei, H.; Vonk, V. [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), D-22607 Hamburg (Germany); Krausert, K.; Franz, D.; Müller, P.; Keller, T. F.; Stierle, A., E-mail: andreas.stierle@desy.de [Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron (DESY), D-22607 Hamburg (Germany); Fachbereich Physik, Universität Hamburg, D-22607 Hamburg (Germany)

2016-08-21

Heteroepitaxial iridium thin films were deposited on (0001) sapphire substrates by means of molecular beam epitaxy, and subsequently, one monolayer of graphene was synthesized by chemical vapor deposition. The influence of the growth parameters on the quality of the Ir films, as well as of graphene, was investigated systematically by means of low energy electron diffraction, x-ray reflectivity, x-ray diffraction, Auger electron spectroscopy, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy. Our study reveals (111) oriented iridium films with high crystalline quality and extremely low surface roughness, on which the formation of large-area epitaxial graphene is achieved. The presence of defects, like dislocations, twins, and 30° rotated domains in the iridium films is also discussed. The coverage of graphene was found to be influenced by the presence of 30° rotated domains in the Ir films. Low iridium deposition rates suppress these rotated domains and an almost complete coverage of graphene was obtained. This synthesis route yields inexpensive, air-stable, and large-area graphene with a well-defined orientation, making it accessible to a wider community of researchers for numerous experiments or applications, including those which use destructive analysis techniques or irreversible processes. Moreover, this approach can be used to tune the structural quality of graphene, allowing a systematic study of the influence of defects in various processes like intercalation below graphene.

Epitaxial growth of textured YBa2Cu3O7-δ films on silver

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu Dan-Min; Liu Wei-Peng; Suo Hong-Li; Zhou Mei-Ling

2005-01-01

YBa 2 Cu 3 O 7-δ (YBCO) films were deposited on (100), (110) and (111) oriented silver single crystals and {100} left angle 100 right angle, {110} left angle 211 right angle, {110} left angle 100 right angle +{110} left angle 011 right angle {110} left angle 011 right angle and {012} left angle 100 right angle textured Ag substrates using pulsed laser deposition. The relationship between the epitaxial growth YBCO film and silver substrate has been determined. It is shown that among polycrystalline Ag substrates, {110} left angle 011 right angle textured tape is suitable for the deposition of YBCO thin films having strong texture. (orig.)

High-rate deposition of epitaxial layers for efficient low-temperature thin film epitaxial silicon solar cells

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Oberbeck, L.; Schmidt, J.; Wagner, T.A.; Bergmann, R.B. [Stuttgart Univ. (Germany). Inst. of Physical Electronics

2001-07-01

Low-temperature deposition of Si for thin-film solar cells has previously been hampered by low deposition rates and low material quality, usually reflected by a low open-circuit voltage of these solar cells. In contrast, ion-assisted deposition produces Si films with a minority-carrier diffusion length of 40 {mu}m, obtained at a record deposition rate of 0.8 {mu}m/min and a deposition temperature of 650{sup o}C with a prebake at 810{sup o}C. A thin-film Si solar cell with a 20-{mu}m-thick epitaxial layer achieves an open-circuit voltage of 622 mV and a conversion efficiency of 12.7% without any light trapping structures and without high-temperature solar cell process steps. (author)

Superconductivity of Rock-Salt Structure LaO Epitaxial Thin Film.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaminaga, Kenichi; Oka, Daichi; Hasegawa, Tetsuya; Fukumura, Tomoteru

2018-06-06

We report a superconducting transition in a LaO epitaxial thin film with the superconducting transition onset temperature ( T c ) at around 5 K. This T c is higher than those of other lanthanum monochalcogenides and opposite to their chemical trend: T c = 0.84, 1.02, and 1.48 K for LaX (X = S, Se, Te), respectively. The carrier control resulted in a dome-shaped T c as a function of electron carrier density. In addition, the T c was significantly sensitive to epitaxial strain in spite of the highly symmetric crystal structure. This rock-salt superconducting LaO could be a building block to design novel superlattice superconductors.

Epitaxially grown strained pentacene thin film on graphene membrane.

Science.gov (United States)

Kim, Kwanpyo; Santos, Elton J G; Lee, Tae Hoon; Nishi, Yoshio; Bao, Zhenan

2015-05-06

Organic-graphene system has emerged as a new platform for various applications such as flexible organic photovoltaics and organic light emitting diodes. Due to its important implication in charge transport, the study and reliable control of molecular packing structures at the graphene-molecule interface are of great importance for successful incorporation of graphene in related organic devices. Here, an ideal membrane of suspended graphene as a molecular assembly template is utilized to investigate thin-film epitaxial behaviors. Using transmission electron microscopy, two distinct molecular packing structures of pentacene on graphene are found. One observed packing structure is similar to the well-known bulk-phase, which adapts a face-on molecular orientation on graphene substrate. On the other hand, a rare polymorph of pentacene crystal, which shows significant strain along the c-axis, is identified. In particular, the strained film exhibits a specific molecular orientation and a strong azimuthal correlation with underlying graphene. Through ab initio electronic structure calculations, including van der Waals interactions, the unusual polymorph is attributed to the strong graphene-pentacene interaction. The observed strained organic film growth on graphene demonstrates the possibility to tune molecular packing via graphene-molecule interactions. © 2015 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Flexoelectricity induced increase of critical thickness in epitaxial ferroelectric thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhou Hao; Hong Jiawang; Zhang Yihui; Li Faxin; Pei Yongmao; Fang Daining

2012-01-01

Flexoelectricity describes the coupling between polarization and strain/stress gradients in insulating crystals. In this paper, using the Landau-Ginsburg-Devonshire phenomenological approach, we found that flexoelectricity could increase the theoretical critical thickness in epitaxial BaTiO 3 thin films, below which the switchable spontaneous polarization vanishes. This increase is remarkable in tensile films while trivial in compressive films due to the electrostriction caused decrease of potential barrier, which can be easily destroyed by the flexoelectricity, between the ferroelectric state and the paraelectric state in tensile films. In addition, the films are still in a uni-polar state even below the critical thickness due to the flexoelectric effect.

Flexoelectricity induced increase of critical thickness in epitaxial ferroelectric thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou Hao [State Key Laboratory for Turbulence and Complex Systems, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Hong Jiawang; Zhang Yihui [Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China); Li Faxin [State Key Laboratory for Turbulence and Complex Systems, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Pei Yongmao, E-mail: peiym@pku.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory for Turbulence and Complex Systems, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Fang Daining, E-mail: fangdn@pku.edu.cn [State Key Laboratory for Turbulence and Complex Systems, College of Engineering, Peking University, Beijing 100871 (China); Department of Engineering Mechanics, Tsinghua University, Beijing 100084 (China)

2012-09-01

Flexoelectricity describes the coupling between polarization and strain/stress gradients in insulating crystals. In this paper, using the Landau-Ginsburg-Devonshire phenomenological approach, we found that flexoelectricity could increase the theoretical critical thickness in epitaxial BaTiO{sub 3} thin films, below which the switchable spontaneous polarization vanishes. This increase is remarkable in tensile films while trivial in compressive films due to the electrostriction caused decrease of potential barrier, which can be easily destroyed by the flexoelectricity, between the ferroelectric state and the paraelectric state in tensile films. In addition, the films are still in a uni-polar state even below the critical thickness due to the flexoelectric effect.

Crystalline silicon thin film growth by ECR plasma CVD for solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Licai Wang

1999-07-01

This thesis describes the background, motivation and work carried out towards this PhD programme entitled 'Crystalline Silicon Thin Film Growth by ECR Plasma CVD for Solar Cells'. The fundamental principles of silicon solar cells are introduced with a review of silicon thin film and bulk solar cells. The development and prospects for thin film silicon solar cells are described. Some results of a modelling study on thin film single crystalline solar cells are given which has been carried out using a commercially available solar cell simulation package (PC-1D). This is followed by a description of thin film deposition techniques. These include Chemical Vapour Deposition (CVD) and Plasma-Assisted CVD (PACVD). The basic theory and technology of the emerging technique of Electron Cyclotron Resonance (ECR) PACVD, which was used in this research, are introduced and the potential advantages summarised. Some of the basic methods of material and cell characterisation are briefly described, together with the work carried out in this research. The growth by ECR PACVD at temperatures 2 illumination. The best efficiency in the ECR grown structures was 13.76% using an epitaxial emitter. Cell performance was analysed in detail and the factors controlling performance identified by fitting self-consistently the fight and dark current-voltage and spectral response data using PC-1D. Finally, the conclusions for this research and suggestions for further work are outlined. (author)

Epitaxial growth and dielectric properties of Bi sub 2 VO sub 5 sub . sub 5 thin films on TiN/Si substrates with SrTiO sub 3 buffer layers

CERN Document Server

Lee, H Y; Choi, B C; Jeong, J H; Joseph, M; Tabata, H; Kawai, T

2000-01-01

Bi sub 2 VO sub 5 sub . sub 5 (BVO) thin films were epitaxially grown on SrTiO sub 3 /TiN/Si substrates by using pulsed laser ablation. A TiN thin film was prepared at 700 .deg. C as a bottom electrode. The TiN film exhibited a high alpha axis orientation and a very smooth morphology. Before the preparation of the BVO thin film, a crystallized SrTiO sub 3 thin film was deposited as a buffer layer on TiN/Si. The BVO thin film grown at a substrate temperature at 700 .deg. C and an oxygen pressure of 50 mTorr was found to be epitaxial along the c-axis. Also, BVO films were observed to have flat surfaces and the step-flow modes. The dielectric constant of the BVO film on STO/TiN/Si was constant at about 8 approx 4 in the applied frequency range between 10 sup 2 and 10 sup 6 Hz.

Comparative Review on Thin Film Growth of Iron-Based Superconductors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yoshinori Imai

2017-07-01

Full Text Available Since the discovery of the novel iron-based superconductors, both theoretical and experimental studies have been performed intensively. Because iron-based superconductors have a smaller anisotropy than high-Tc cuprates and a high superconducting transition temperature, there have been a lot of researchers working on the film fabrication of iron-based superconductors and their application. Accordingly, many novel features have been reported in the films of iron-based superconductors, for example, the fabrication of the epitaxial film with a higher Tc than bulk samples, the extraction of the metastable phase which cannot be obtained by the conventional solid state reaction, and so on. In this paper, we review the progress of research on thin film fabrications of iron-based superconductors, especially the four categories: LnFeAs(O,F (Ln = Lanthanide, AEFe2As2 (AE = Alkaline-earth metal, FeCh (Ch = Chalcogen, and FeSe monolayer. Furthermore, we focus on two important topics in thin films of iron-based superconductors; one is the substrate material for thin film growth on the iron-based superconductors, and the other is the whole phase diagram in FeSe1-xTex which can be obtained only by using film-fabrication technique.

Metallic transport and large anomalous Hall effect at room temperature in ferrimagnetic Mn{sub 4}N epitaxial thin film

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shen, Xi; Shigematsu, Kei [Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Chikamatsu, Akira, E-mail: chikamatsu@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp; Fukumura, Tomoteru [Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Hirose, Yasushi; Hasegawa, Tetsuya [Department of Chemistry, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency (JST), Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), Kawasaki 213-0012 (Japan)

2014-08-18

We report the electrical transport properties of ferrimagnetic Mn{sub 4}N (001) epitaxial thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition on MgO (001) substrates. The Mn{sub 4}N thin films were tetragonally distorted with a ratio of out-of-plane to in-plane lattice constants of 0.987 and showed perpendicular magnetic anisotropy with an effective magnetic anisotropy constant of 0.16 MJ/m{sup 3}, which is comparable with that of a recently reported molecular-beam-epitaxy-grown film. The thin films exhibited metallic transport with a room temperature resistivity of 125 μΩ cm in addition to a large anomalous Hall effect with a Hall angle tangent of 0.023.

Dielectric and ferroelectric properties of strain-relieved epitaxial lead-free KNN-LT-LS ferroelectric thin films on SrTiO3 substrates

Science.gov (United States)

Abazari, M.; Akdoǧan, E. K.; Safari, A.

2008-05-01

We report the growth of single-phase (K0.44,Na0.52,Li0.04)(Nb0.84,Ta0.10,Sb0.06)O3 thin films on SrRuO3 coated ⟨001⟩ oriented SrTiO3 substrates by using pulsed laser deposition. Films grown at 600°C under low laser fluence exhibit a ⟨001⟩ textured columnar grained nanostructure, which coalesce with increasing deposition temperature, leading to a uniform fully epitaxial highly stoichiometric film at 750°C. However, films deposited at lower temperatures exhibit compositional fluctuations as verified by Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy. The epitaxial films of 400-600nm thickness have a room temperature relative permittivity of ˜750 and a loss tangent of ˜6% at 1kHz. The room temperature remnant polarization of the films is 4μC /cm2, while the saturation polarization is 7.1μC/cm2 at 24kV/cm and the coercive field is ˜7.3kV/cm. The results indicate that approximately 50% of the bulk permittivity and 20% of bulk spontaneous polarization can be retained in submicron epitaxial KNN-LT-LS thin film, respectively. The conductivity of the films remains to be a challenge as evidenced by the high loss tangent, leakage currents, and broad hysteresis loops.

Preparation and characterization of epitaxially grown unsupported yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Götsch, Thomas; Mayr, Lukas [Institute of Physical Chemistry, Universität Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck (Austria); Stöger-Pollach, Michael [University Service Center for Transmission Electron Microscopy (USTEM), Vienna University of Technology, A-1040 Vienna (Austria); Klötzer, Bernhard [Institute of Physical Chemistry, Universität Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck (Austria); Penner, Simon, E-mail: simon.penner@uibk.ac.at [Institute of Physical Chemistry, Universität Innsbruck, A-6020 Innsbruck (Austria)

2015-03-15

Highlights: • Preparation of unsupported yttrium-stabilized zirconia films. • Control of ordering and epitaxy by temperature of deposition template. • Adjustment of film defectivity by deposition and post-oxidation temperature. • Reproducibility of target stoichiometry in the deposited films. • Lateral and vertical chemical homogeneity. - Abstract: Epitaxially grown, chemically homogeneous yttria-stabilized zirconia thin films (“YSZ”, 8 mol% Y{sub 2}O{sub 3}) are prepared by direct-current sputtering onto a single-crystalline NaCl(0 0 1) template at substrate temperatures ≥493 K, resulting in unsupported YSZ films after floating off NaCl in water. A combined methodological approach by dedicated (surface science) analytical characterization tools (transmission electron microscopy and diffraction, atomic force microscopy, angle-resolved X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) reveals that the film grows mainly in a [0 0 1] zone axis and no Y-enrichment in surface or bulk regions takes place. In fact, the Y-content of the sputter target is preserved in the thin films. Analysis of the plasmon region in EEL spectra indicates a defective nature of the as-deposited films, which can be suppressed by post-deposition oxidation at 1073 K. This, however, induces considerable sintering, as deduced from surface morphology measurements by AFM. In due course, the so-prepared unsupported YSZ films might act as well-defined model systems also for technological applications.

Bulk photovoltaic effect in epitaxial (K, Nb) substituted BiFeO3 thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Agarwal, Radhe; Zheng, Fan; Sharma, Yogesh; Hong, Seungbum; Rappe, Andrew; Katiyar, Ram

We studied the bulk photovoltaic effect in epitaxial (K, Nb) modified BiFeO3 (BKFNO) thin films using theoretical and experimental methods. Epitaxial BKFNO thin films were grown by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). First, we have performed first principles density function theory (DFT) using DFT +U method to calculate electronic band structure, including Hubbard-Ueff (Ueff =U-J) correction into Hamiltonian. The electronic band structure calculations showed a direct band gap at 1.9 eV and a defect level at 1.7 eV (in a 40 atom BKFNO supercell), sufficiently lower in comparison to the experimentally observed values. Furthermore, the piezoforce microscopy (PFM) measurements indicated the presence of striped polydomains in BKFNO thin films. Angle-resolved PFM measurements were also performed to find domain orientation and net polarization directions in these films. The experimental studies of photovoltaic effect in BKNFO films showed a short circuit current of 59 micro amp/cm2 and open circuit voltage of 0.78 V. We compared our experimental results with first principles shift current theory calculations of bulk photovoltaic effect (BPVE).The synergy between theory and experimental results provided a realization of significant role of BPVE in order to understand the photovoltaic mechanism in ferroelectrics.

As-free pnictide LaNi{sub 1-x}Sb{sub 2} thin films grown by reactive molecular beam epitaxy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Retzlaff, Reiner; Buckow, Alexander; Kurian, Jose; Alff, Lambert [Institute of Materials Science, Technische Universitaet Darmstadt, Petersenstr. 23, 64287 Darmstadt (Germany)

2012-07-01

We use reactive molecular beam epitaxy (RMBE) as synthesis technique for the search of arsenic free pnictide superconductors. Epitaxial thin films of LaNi{sub 1-x}Sb{sub 2} were grown on (100)MgO substrates from elemental sources by simultaneous evaporation of high purity La, Ni and Sb metals by e-gun. The LaNi{sub 1-x}Sb{sub 2} thin films grow epitaxially and are (00l) oriented with high crystalline quality, as evident from RHEED and X-Ray diffraction studies. The Ni deficient LaNi{sub 1-x}Sb{sub 2} thin films show metallic behavior with a room temperature resistivity of 110 {mu}{Omega} cm, while the stoichiometric compound is a semiconductor/insulator. The isostructural compound with Bi as pnictide shows a superconducting transition with a T{sub C}(0) of 3.1 K.

Thin film structures and phase stability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Clemens, B.M.; Johnson, W.L.

1990-01-01

This was a two day symposium, with invited and contributed papers as well as an evening poster session. The first day concentrated on solid state reactions with invited talks by Lindsay Greer from the University of Cambridge, King Tu from IBM Yorktown Heights, and Carl Thompson from MIT. Professor Greer observed that the diffusion of Zr is 10 6 times slower than that of Ni in amorphous NiZr, confirming that Ni is the mobile species in solid state amorphization. King Tu explained the formation of metastable phases in this film diffusion couples by the concept of maximum rate of free energy change. Carl Thompson discussed the formation of amorphous phases in metal silicon systems, and discussed a two stage nucleation and growth process. The contributed papers also generated discussion on topics such as phase segregation, amorphous silicide formation, room temperature oxidation of silicon, and nucleation during ion beam irradiation. There was a lively poster session on Monday evening with papers on a wide variety of topics covering the general area of thin film science. The second day had sessions Epitaxy and Multilayer Structure I and II, with the morning focussing on epitaxial and heteroepitaxial growth of thin films. Robin Farrow of IBM Almaden led off with an invited talk where he reported on some remarkable success he and his co-workers have had in growing single crystal epitaxial thin films and superlattices of silver, iron, cobalt and platinum on GaAs. This was followed by several talks on epitaxial growth and characterization. The afternoon focused on interfaces and structure of multilayered materials. A session on possible stress origins of the supermodulus effect was highlighted by lively interaction from the audience. Most of the papers presented at the symposium are presented in this book

Growth and characterization of Hg 1– Cd Te epitaxial films by ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Growth of Hg1–CdTe epitaxial films by a new technique called asymmetric vapour phase epitaxy (ASVPE) has been carried out on CdTe and CZT substrates. The critical problems faced in normal vapour phase epitaxy technique like poor surface morphology, composition gradient and dislocation multiplication have ...

Structural characterization of metastable hcp-Ni thin films epitaxially grown on Au(100) single-crystal underlayers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohtake, Mitsuru; Tanaka, Takahiro; Futamoto, Masaaki; Kirino, Fumiyoshi

2010-01-01

Ni(1120) epitaxial thin films with hcp structure were prepared on Au(100) single-crystal underlayers at 100 deg. C by ultra high vacuum molecular beam epitaxy. The detailed film structure is studied by in situ reflection high energy electron diffraction, x-ray diffraction, and transmission electron microscopy. The hcp-Ni film consists of two types of variants whose c-axes are rotated around the film normal by 90 deg. each other. An atomically sharp boundary is recognized between the film and the underlayer, where misfit dislocations are introduced. Presence of such dislocations seems to relieve the strain caused by the lattice mismatch between the film and the underlayer.

Catalytic Activity Enhancement for Oxygen Reduction on Epitaxial Perovskite Thin Films for Solid-Oxide Fuel Cells

KAUST Repository

la O', Gerardo Jose; Ahn, Sung-Jin; Crumlin, Ethan; Orikasa, Yuki; Biegalski, Michael D.; Christen, Hans M.; Shao-Horn, Yang

2010-01-01

Figure Presented The active ingredient: La0.8Sr 0.2CoO3-δ (LSC) epitaxial thin films are prepared on (001 )-oriented yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) single crystals with a gadolinium-doped ceria (GDC) buffer layer (see picture). The LSC epitaxial films exhibit better oxygen reduction kinetics than bulk LSC. The enhanced activity is attributed in part to higher oxygen nonstoichiometry. © 2010 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KCaA, Weinheim.

Catalytic Activity Enhancement for Oxygen Reduction on Epitaxial Perovskite Thin Films for Solid-Oxide Fuel Cells

KAUST Repository

la O', Gerardo Jose

2010-06-22

Figure Presented The active ingredient: La0.8Sr 0.2CoO3-δ (LSC) epitaxial thin films are prepared on (001 )-oriented yttria-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) single crystals with a gadolinium-doped ceria (GDC) buffer layer (see picture). The LSC epitaxial films exhibit better oxygen reduction kinetics than bulk LSC. The enhanced activity is attributed in part to higher oxygen nonstoichiometry. © 2010 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KCaA, Weinheim.

Ge films grown on Si substrates by molecular-beam epitaxy below 450 deg. C

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Liu, J.; Kim, H.J.; Hul'ko, O.; Xie, Y.H.; Sahni, S.; Bandaru, P.; Yablonovitch, E.

2004-01-01

Ge thin films are grown on Si(001) substrates by molecular-beam epitaxy at 370 deg. C. The low-temperature epitaxial growth is compatible with the back-end thermal budget of current generation complementary metal-oxide-semiconductor technology, which is restricted to less than 450 deg. C. Reflection high-energy electron diffraction shows that single-crystal Ge thin films with smooth surfaces could be achieved below 450 deg. C. Double-axis x-ray θ/2θ scans also show that the epitaxial Ge films are almost fully strain-relaxed. As expected, cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy shows a network of dislocations at the interface. Hydrogen and oxide desorption techniques are proved to be necessary for improving the quality of the Ge films, which is reflected in improved minority carrier diffusion lengths and exceptionally low leakage currents

Quantized dissipation and random telegraph voltage noise in epitaxial BiSrCaCuO thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, G.; Savo, B.; Vecchione, A.

1993-01-01

In this paper we report on the observation of correlated multiple-voltage RTN switching in high quality epitaxial BiSrCaCuO thin film. We ascribe the correlated noise to the quantization of flux flow dissipation in the film. (orig.)

Diamagnetism to ferromagnetism in Sr-substituted epitaxial BaTiO{sub 3} thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Singamaneni, Srinivasa Rao, E-mail: ssingam@ncsu.edu; Prater, John T. [Materials Science Division, Army Research Office, Research Triangle Park, North Carolina 27709 (United States); Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (United States); Punugupati, Sandhyarani; Narayan, Jagdish [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (United States)

2016-04-04

We report on the ferromagnetic-like behavior in otherwise diamagnetic BaTiO{sub 3} (BTO) thin films upon doping with non-magnetic element Sr having the composition Ba{sub 0.4}Sr{sub 0.6}TiO{sub 3} (BST). The epitaxial integration of BST (∼800 nm) thick films on Si (100) substrate was achieved using MgO (40 nm) and TiN (20 nm) as buffer layers to prepare BST/MgO/TiN/Si (100) heterostructure by pulsed laser deposition. The c-axis oriented and cube-on-cube epitaxial BST is formed on Si (100) as evidenced by the in-plane and out-of-plane X-ray diffraction. All the deposited films are relaxed through domain matching epitaxy paradigm as observed from X-ray diffraction pattern and A{sub 1}TO{sub 3} mode (at 521.27 cm{sup −1}) of Raman spectra. As-deposited BST thin films reveal ferromagnetic-like properties, which persist up to 400 K. The magnetization decreases two-fold upon oxygen annealing. In contrast, as-deposited un-doped BTO films show diamagnetism. Electron spin resonance measurements reveal no evidence of external magnetic impurities. XRD and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy spectra show significant changes influenced by Sr doping in BTO. The ferromagnetic-like behavior in BST could be due to the trapped electron donors from oxygen vacancies resulting from Sr-doping.

Growth of Ca{sub 2}MnO{sub 4} Ruddlesden-Popper structured thin films using combinatorial substrate epitaxy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lacotte, M.; David, A.; Pravarthana, D.; Prellier, W., E-mail: wilfrid.prellier@ensicaen.fr [Laboratoire CRISMAT, CNRS UMR 6508, ENSICAEN, Université de Basse-Normandie, 6 Bd Maréchal Juin, F-14050 Caen Cedex 4 (France); Grygiel, C. [Laboratoire CIMAP, CEA, CNRS UMR 6252, ENSICAEN, Université de Basse-Normandie, 6 Bd Maréchal Juin, F-14050 Caen Cedex 4 (France); Rohrer, G. S.; Salvador, P. A. [Department of Materials Science and Engineering, Carnegie Mellon University, 5000 Forbes Ave., Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania 15213 (United States); Velazquez, M. [CNRS, Université de Bordeaux, ICMCB, UPR 9048, F-33600 Pessac (France); Kloe, R. de [AMETEK B.V, EDAX Application Laboratory, Tilburg (Netherlands)

2014-12-28

The local epitaxial growth of pulsed laser deposited Ca{sub 2}MnO{sub 4} films on polycrystalline spark plasma sintered Sr{sub 2}TiO{sub 4} substrates was investigated to determine phase formation and preferred epitaxial orientation relationships (ORs) for isostructural Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) heteroepitaxy, further developing the high-throughput synthetic approach called Combinatorial Substrate Epitaxy (CSE). Both grazing incidence X-ray diffraction and electron backscatter diffraction patterns of the film and substrate were indexable as single-phase RP-structured compounds. The optimal growth temperature (between 650 °C and 800 °C) was found to be 750 °C using the maximum value of the average image quality of the backscattered diffraction patterns. Films grew in a grain-over-grain pattern such that each Ca{sub 2}MnO{sub 4} grain had a single OR with the Sr{sub 2}TiO{sub 4} grain on which it grew. Three primary ORs described 47 out of 49 grain pairs that covered nearly all of RP orientation space. The first OR, found for 20 of the 49, was the expected RP unit-cell over RP unit-cell OR, expressed as [100][001]{sub film}||[100][001]{sub sub}. The other two ORs were essentially rotated from the first by 90°, with one (observed for 17 of 49 pairs) being rotated about the [100] and the other (observed for 10 of 49 pairs) being rotated about the [110] (and not exactly by 90°). These results indicate that only a small number of ORs are needed to describe isostructural RP heteroepitaxy and further demonstrate the potential of CSE in the design and growth of a wide range of complex functional oxides.

Advanced fabrication method for the preparation of MOF thin films: Liquid-phase epitaxy approach meets spin coating method.

KAUST Repository

Chernikova, Valeriya

2016-07-14

Here we report a new and advanced method for the fabrication of highly oriented/polycrystalline metal-organic framework (MOF) thin films. Building on the attractive features of the liquid-phase epitaxy (LPE) approach, a facile spin coating method was implemented to generate MOF thin films in a high-throughput fashion. Advantageously, this approach offers a great prospective to cost-effectively construct thin-films with a significantly shortened preparation time and a lessened chemicals and solvents consumption, as compared to the conventional LPE-process. Certainly, this new spin-coating approach has been implemented successfully to construct various MOF thin films, ranging in thickness from a few micrometers down to the nanometer scale, spanning 2-D and 3-D benchmark MOF materials including Cu2(bdc)2•xH2O, Zn2(bdc)2•xH2O, HKUST-1 and ZIF-8. This method was appraised and proved effective on a variety of substrates comprising functionalized gold, silicon, glass, porous stainless steel and aluminum oxide. The facile, high-throughput and cost-effective nature of this approach, coupled with the successful thin film growth and substrate versatility, represents the next generation of methods for MOF thin film fabrication. Thereby paving the way for these unique MOF materials to address a wide range of challenges in the areas of sensing devices and membrane technology.

Epitaxial effects in thin films of high-Tc cuprates with the K2NiF4 structure

Science.gov (United States)

Naito, Michio; Sato, Hisashi; Tsukada, Akio; Yamamoto, Hideki

2018-03-01

La2-xSrxCuO4 (LSCO) and La2-xBaxCuO4 (LBCO) have been recognized as the archetype materials of "hole-doped" high-Tc superconductors. Their crystal structures are relatively simple with a small number of constituent cation elements. In addition, the doping level can be varied by the chemical substitution over a wide range enough to obtain the full spectrum of doping-dependent electronic and magnetic properties. These attractive features have dedicated many researchers to thin-film growth of LSCO and LBCO. The critical temperature (Tc) of LSCO and LBCO is sensitive to strain as manifested by a positive pressure coefficient of Tc in bulk samples. In general, films are strained if they are grown on lattice-mismatched substrates (epitaxial strain). Early attempts (before 1997) at the growth of LSCO and LBCO films resulted in depressed Tc below 30 K as they were grown on a commonly used SrTiO3 substrate (in-plane lattice parameter asub = 3.905 Å): the in-plane lattice parameters of LSCO and LBCO are ≤3.80 Å, and hence tensile epitaxial strain is introduced. The situation was changed by the use of LaSrAlO4 substrates with a slightly shorter in-plane lattice constant (asub = 3.756 Å). On LaSrAlO4 substrates, the Tc reaches 45 K in La1.85Sr0.15CuO4, 47 K in La1.85Ba0.15CuO4, and 56 K in ozone-oxidized La2CuO4+δ films, substantially higher than the Tc's of the bulk compounds. The Tc increase in La1.85Sr0.15CuO4 films on LaSrAlO4 and decrease on SrTiO3 are semi-quantitatively in accord with the phenomenological estimations based on the anisotropic strain coefficients of Tc (dTc/dεi). In this review article, we describe the growth and properties of films of cuprates having the K2NiF4 structure, mainly focusing on the increase/decrease of Tc by epitaxial strain and quasi-stable phase formation by epitaxial stabilization. We further extract the structural and/or physical parameters controlling Tc toward microscopic understanding of the variation of Tc by epitaxial strain.

Single-domain epitaxial silicene on diboride thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fleurence, A., E-mail: antoine@jaist.ac.jp; Friedlein, R.; Aoyagi, K.; Yamada-Takamura, Y. [School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), 1-1 Asahidai, Nomi, Ishikawa 923-1292 (Japan); Gill, T. G. [School of Materials Science, Japan Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (JAIST), 1-1 Asahidai, Nomi, Ishikawa 923-1292 (Japan); London Centre for Nanotechnology, University College London (UCL), London WC1H 0AH (United Kingdom); Department of Chemistry, UCL, London WC1H 0AJ (United Kingdom); Sadowski, J. T. [Center for Functional Nanomaterials, Brookhaven National Laboratory, Upton, New York 11973 (United States); Copel, M.; Tromp, R. M. [IBM Research Division, Thomas J. Watson Research Center, Yorktown Heights, New York 10598 (United States); Hirjibehedin, C. F. [London Centre for Nanotechnology, University College London (UCL), London WC1H 0AH (United Kingdom); Department of Chemistry, UCL, London WC1H 0AJ (United Kingdom); Department of Physics and Astronomy, UCL, London WC1E 6BT (United Kingdom)

2016-04-11

Epitaxial silicene, which forms spontaneously on ZrB{sub 2}(0001) thin films grown on Si(111) wafers, has a periodic stripe domain structure. By adsorbing additional Si atoms on this surface, we find that the domain boundaries vanish, and a single-domain silicene sheet can be prepared without altering its buckled honeycomb structure. The amount of Si required to induce this change suggests that the domain boundaries are made of a local distortion of the silicene honeycomb lattice. The realization of a single domain sheet with structural and electronic properties close to those of the original striped state demonstrates the high structural flexibility of silicene.

Self-Limited Growth in Pentacene Thin Films.

Science.gov (United States)

Pachmajer, Stefan; Jones, Andrew O F; Truger, Magdalena; Röthel, Christian; Salzmann, Ingo; Werzer, Oliver; Resel, Roland

2017-04-05

Pentacene is one of the most studied organic semiconducting materials. While many aspects of the film formation have already been identified in very thin films, this study provides new insight into the transition from the metastable thin-film phase to bulk phase polymorphs. This study focuses on the growth behavior of pentacene within thin films as a function of film thickness ranging from 20 to 300 nm. By employing various X-ray diffraction methods, combined with supporting atomic force microscopy investigations, one crystalline orientation for the thin-film phase is observed, while three differently tilted bulk phase orientations are found. First, bulk phase crystallites grow with their 00L planes parallel to the substrate surface; second, however, crystallites tilted by 0.75° with respect to the substrate are found, which clearly dominate the former in ratio; third, a different bulk phase polymorph with crystallites tilted by 21° is found. The transition from the thin-film phase to the bulk phase is rationalized by the nucleation of the latter at crystal facets of the thin-film-phase crystallites. This leads to a self-limiting growth of the thin-film phase and explains the thickness-dependent phase behavior observed in pentacene thin films, showing that a large amount of material is present in the bulk phase much earlier during the film growth than previously thought.

Effect of growth temperature on defects in epitaxial GaN film grown by plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

S. S. Kushvaha

2014-02-01

Full Text Available We report the effect of growth temperature on defect states of GaN epitaxial layers grown on 3.5 μm thick GaN epi-layer on sapphire (0001 substrates using plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy. The GaN samples grown at three different substrate temperatures at 730, 740 and 750 °C were characterized using atomic force microscopy and photoluminescence spectroscopy. The atomic force microscopy images of these samples show the presence of small surface and large hexagonal pits on the GaN film surfaces. The surface defect density of high temperature grown sample is smaller (4.0 × 108 cm−2 at 750 °C than that of the low temperature grown sample (1.1 × 109 cm−2 at 730 °C. A correlation between growth temperature and concentration of deep centre defect states from photoluminescence spectra is also presented. The GaN film grown at 750 °C exhibits the lowest defect concentration which confirms that the growth temperature strongly influences the surface morphology and affects the optical properties of the GaN epitaxial films.

The preparation of Zn-ferrite epitaxial thin film from epitaxial Fe3O4:ZnO multilayers by ion beam sputtering deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Su, Hui-Chia; Dai, Jeng-Yi; Liao, Yen-Fa; Wu, Yu-Han; Huang, J.C.A.; Lee, Chih-Hao

2010-01-01

A new method to grow a well-ordered epitaxial ZnFe 2 O 4 thin film on Al 2 O 3 (0001) substrate is described in this work. The samples were made by annealing the ZnO/Fe 3 O 4 multilayer which was grown with low energy ion beam sputtering deposition. Both the Fe 3 O 4 and ZnO layers were found grown epitaxially at low temperature and an epitaxial ZnFe 2 O 4 thin film was formed after annealing at 1000 o C. X-ray diffraction shows the ZnFe 2 O 4 film is grown with an orientation of ZnFe 2 O 4 (111)//Al 2 O 3 (0001) and ZnFe 2 O 4 (1-10)//Al 2 O 3 (11-20). X-ray absorption spectroscopy studies show that Zn 2+ atoms replace the tetrahedral Fe 2+ atoms in Fe 3 O 4 during the annealing. The magnetic properties measured by vibrating sample magnetometer show that the saturation magnetization of ZnFe 2 O 4 grown from ZnO/Fe 3 O 4 multilayer reaches the bulk value after the annealing process.

Growth and characterization of Hg1–xCdxTe epitaxial films by ...

Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

Unknown

Abstract. Growth of Hg1–xCdxTe epitaxial films by a new technique called asymmetric vapour phase epitaxy. (ASVPE) has been carried out on CdTe and CZT substrates. The critical problems faced in normal vapour phase epitaxy technique like poor surface morphology, composition gradient and dislocation multiplication.

Modelling of epitaxial film growth with an Ehrlich-Schwoebel barrier dependent on the step height

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leal, F F; Ferreira, S C; Ferreira, S O

2011-01-01

The formation of mounded surfaces in epitaxial growth is attributed to the presence of barriers against interlayer diffusion in the terrace edges, known as Ehrlich-Schwoebel (ES) barriers. We investigate a model for epitaxial growth using an ES barrier explicitly dependent on the step height. Our model has an intrinsic topological step barrier even in the absence of an explicit ES barrier. We show that mounded morphologies can be obtained even for a small barrier while a self-affine growth, consistent with the Villain-Lai-Das Sarma equation, is observed in the absence of an explicit step barrier. The mounded surfaces are described by a super-roughness dynamical scaling characterized by locally smooth (facetted) surfaces and a global roughness exponent α > 1. The thin film limit is featured by surfaces with self-assembled three-dimensional structures having an aspect ratio (height/width) that may increase or decrease with temperature depending on the strength of the step barrier. (fast track communication)

Powder free PECVD epitaxial silicon by plasma pulsing or increasing the growth temperature

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Wanghua; Maurice, Jean-Luc; Vanel, Jean-Charles; Cabarrocas, Pere Roca i.

2018-06-01

Crystalline silicon thin films are promising candidates for low cost and flexible photovoltaics. Among various synthesis techniques, epitaxial growth via low temperature plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition is an interesting choice because of two low temperature related benefits: low thermal budget and better doping profile control. However, increasing the growth rate is a tricky issue because the agglomeration of clusters required for epitaxy leads to powder formation in the plasma. In this work, we have measured precisely the time evolution of the self-bias voltage in silane/hydrogen plasmas at millisecond time scale, for different values of the direct-current bias voltage applied to the radio frequency (RF) electrode and growth temperatures. We demonstrate that the decisive factor to increase the epitaxial growth rate, i.e. the inhibition of the agglomeration of plasma-born clusters, can be obtained by decreasing the RF OFF time or increasing the growth temperature. The influence of these two parameters on the growth rate and epitaxial film quality is also presented.

Epitaxial Pb(Mg1/3Nb2/3)O3 thin films synthesized by metal-organic chemical vapor deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bai, G. R.; Streiffer, S. K.; Baumann, P. K.; Auciello, O.; Ghosh, K.; Stemmer, S.; Munkholm, A.; Thompson, Carol; Rao, R. A.; Eom, C. B.

2000-01-01

Metal-organic chemical vapor deposition was used to prepare Pb(Mg 1/3 Nb 2/3 )O 3 (PMN) thin films on (001) SrTiO 3 and SrRuO 3 /SrTiO 3 substrates, using solid Mg β-diketonate as the Mg precursor. Parameters including the precursor ratio in the vapor phase, growth temperature, growth rate, and reaction pressure in the reactor chamber were varied in order to determine suitable growth conditions for producing phase-pure, epitaxial PMN films. A cube-on-cube orientation relationship between the thin film and the SrTiO 3 substrate was found, with a (001) rocking curve width of 0.1 degree sign , and in-plane rocking-curve width of 0.8 degree sign . The root-mean-square surface roughness of a 200-nm-thick film on SrTiO 3 was 2 to 3 nm as measured by scanning probe microscopy. The zero-bias dielectric constant and loss measured at room temperature and 10 kHz for a 200-nm-thick film on SrRuO 3 /SrTiO 3 were approximately 1100 and 2%, respectively. The remnant polarization for this film was 16 μC/cm 2 . (c) 2000 American Institute of Physics

Determination of the Young's modulus of pulsed laser deposited epitaxial PZT thin films

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nazeer, H.; Nguyen, Duc Minh; Woldering, L.A.; Abelmann, Leon; Rijnders, Augustinus J.H.M.; Elwenspoek, Michael Curt

2011-01-01

We determined the Young’s modulus of pulsed laser deposited epitaxially grown PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 (PZT) thin films on microcantilevers by measuring the difference in cantilever resonance frequency before and after deposition. By carefully optimizing the accuracy of this technique, we were able to show

Abstracts of 4. International Workshop on Molecular Beam Epitaxy and Vapour Phase Epitaxy Growth Physics and Technology

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2001-01-01

4. International Workshop on Molecular Beam Epitaxy and Vapour Phase Epitaxy Growth Physics and Technology is the periodically held forum for discussion the problems connected with manufacturing of different nanostructures (thin films, quantum wells, quantum dots) needed in microelectronics. Preparation of such materials with desirable optical, electrical and magnetic properties being determined by their chemical composition and crystal structure has been discussed in detail during the workshop sessions. Optimization of crystal growth methods such as VPE and MBE from the view point of obtained material properties has also been extensively discussed

Multiferroic fluoride BaCoF4 Thin Films Grown Via Molecular Beam Epitaxy

Science.gov (United States)

Borisov, Pavel; Johnson, Trent; García-Castro, Camilo; Kc, Amit; Schrecongost, Dustin; Cen, Cheng; Romero, Aldo; Lederman, David

Multiferroic materials exhibit exciting physics related to the simultaneous presence of multiple long-range orders, in many cases consisting of antiferromagnetic (AF) and ferroelectric (FE) orderings. In order to provide a new, promising route for fluoride-based multiferroic material engineering, we grew multiferroic fluoride BaCoF4 in thin film form on Al2O3 (0001) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. The films grow with the orthorhombic b-axis out-of-plane and with three in-plane structural twin domains along the polar c-axis directions. The FE ordering in thin films was verified by FE remanent hysteresis loops measurements at T = 14 K and by room temperature piezoresponse force microscopy (PFM). An AF behavior was found below Neel temperature TN ~ 80 K, which is in agreement with the bulk properties. At lower temperatures two additional magnetic phase transitions at 19 K and 41 K were found. First-principles calculations demonstrated that the growth strain applied to the bulk BaCoF4 indeed favors two canted spin orders, along the b- and a-axes, respectively, in addition to the main AF spin order along the c-axis. Supported by FAME (Contract 2013-MA-2382), WV Research Challenge Grant (HEPC.dsr.12.29), and DMREF-NSF 1434897.

NATO Advanced Research Workshop on Thin Film Growth Techniques for Low-Dimensional Structures

CERN Document Server

Parkin, S; Dobson, P; Neave, J; Arrott, A

1987-01-01

This work represents the account of a NATO Advanced Research Workshop on "Thin Film Growth Techniques for Low Dimensional Structures", held at the University of Sussex, Brighton, England from 15-19 Sept. 1986. The objective of the workshop was to review the problems of the growth and characterisation of thin semiconductor and metal layers. Recent advances in deposition techniques have made it possible to design new material which is based on ultra-thin layers and this is now posing challenges for scientists, technologists and engineers in the assessment and utilisation of such new material. Molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) has become well established as a method for growing thin single crystal layers of semiconductors. Until recently, MBE was confined to the growth of III-V compounds and alloys, but now it is being used for group IV semiconductors and II-VI compounds. Examples of such work are given in this volume. MBE has one major advantage over other crystal growth techniques in that the structure of the growi...

Epitaxially Grown Films of Standing and Lying Pentacene Molecules on Cu(110) Surfaces

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-01

Here, it is shown that pentacene thin films (30 nm) with distinctively different crystallographic structures and molecular orientations can be grown under essentially identical growth conditions in UHV on clean Cu(110) surfaces. By X-ray diffraction, we show that the epitaxially oriented pentacene films crystallize either in the “thin film” phase with standing molecules or in the “single crystal” structure with molecules lying with their long axes parallel to the substrate. The morphology of the samples observed by atomic force microscopy shows an epitaxial alignment of pentacene crystallites, which corroborates the molecular orientation observed by X-ray diffraction pole figures. Low energy electron diffraction measurements reveal that these dissimilar growth behaviors are induced by subtle differences in the monolayer structures formed by slightly different preparation procedures. PMID:21479111

Laser energy tuning of carrier effective mass and thermopower in epitaxial oxide thin films

KAUST Repository

Abutaha, Anas I.; Sarath Kumar, S. R.; Alshareef, Husam N.

2012-01-01

The effect of the laser fluence on high temperature thermoelectric properties of the La doped SrTiO3 (SLTO) thin films epitaxially grown on LaAlO3 〈100〉 substrates by pulsed laser deposition is clarified. It is shown that oxygen vacancies

Microstructure of Co/X (X=Cu,Ag,Au) epitaxial thin films grown on Al2O3(0001) substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohtake, Mitsuru; Akita, Yuta; Futamoto, Masaaki; Kirino, Fumiyoshi

2007-01-01

Epitaxial thin films of Co/X (X=Cu,Ag,Au) were prepared on Al 2 O 3 (0001) substrates at substrate temperatures of 100 and 300 degree sign C by UHV molecular beam epitaxy. A complicated microstructure was realized for the epitaxial thin films. In-situ reflection high-energy electron diffraction observation has shown that X atoms of the buffer layer segregated to the surface during Co layer deposition, and it yielded a unique epitaxial granular structure. The structure consists of small Co grains buried in the X buffer layer, where both the magnetic small Co grains and the nonmagnetic X layer are epitaxially grown on the single crystal substrate. The structure varied depending on the X element and the substrate temperature. The crystal structure of Co grains is influenced by the buffer layer material and determined to be hcp and fcc structures for the buffer layer materials of Au and Cu, respectively

Molecular-beam epitaxial growth and ion-beam analysis systems for functional materials research

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takeshita, H.; Aoki, Y.; Yamamoto, S.; Naramoto, H.

1992-01-01

Experimental systems for molecular beam epitaxial growth and ion beam analysis have been designed and constructed for the research of inorganic functional materials such as thin films and superlattices. (author)

Squid measurement of the Verwey transition on epitaxial (1 0 0) magnetite thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dediu, V.; Arisi, E.; Bergenti, I.; Riminucci, A.; Solzi, M.; Pernechele, C.; Natali, M.

2007-01-01

We report results on epitaxial magnetite (Fe 3 O 4 ) thin films grown by electron beam ablation on (1 0 0) MgAl 2 O 4 substrates. At 120 K magnetite undergoes a structural and electronic transition, the so-called Verwey transition, at which magnetic and conducting properties of the material change. We observed the Verwey transition on epitaxial films with a thickness of 50 nm by comparing zero-field cooling (ZFC) and field cooling (FC) curves measured with a superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) magnetometer. Observation of the Verwey transition by SQUID measurements in the films is sign of their high crystalline quality. Room temperature ferromagnetism has also been found by magneto-optical Kerr rotation (MOKE) and confirmed by SQUID measurements, with a hysteresis loop showing a coercive field of hundreds of Oe

Optimization studies of HgSe thin film deposition by electrochemical atomic layer epitaxy (EC-ALE)

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Venkatasamy, V

2006-06-01

Full Text Available Studies of the optimization of HgSe thin film deposition using electrochemical atomic layer epitaxy (EC-ALE) are reported. Cyclic voltammetry was used to obtain approximate deposition potentials for each element. These potentials were then coupled...

Epitaxial growth of thin single-crystals and their quality study by Rutherford scattering in channeling conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirsch, Robert.

1975-01-01

Some aspects of thin crystalline layers are reminded: vacuum deposition, epitaxial growth, annealing and interdiffusion ion channeling and scattering of 1-2MeV helium ions are used to study the crystalline quality, the annealing effects and in some cases the interdiffusion in epitaxial multilayers of silver, copper gold and nickel. Thin single-crystals of gold and nickel oriented (III) plan parallel to the surface were obtained by successive epitaxial growth from muscovite mica clivages. The mounting techniques of single crystalline, self-supporting, 300 to 1200 Angstroems thick, gold and nickel targets of 3mm diameter are described. The gold single-crystals have dislocation densities of 10 8 cm -2 and the various epitaxial layers are obtained without twinning [fr

Modeling the transport properties of epitaxially grown thermoelectric oxide thin films using spectroscopic ellipsometry

KAUST Repository

Sarath Kumar, S. R.

2012-02-01

The influence of oxygen vacancies on the transport properties of epitaxial thermoelectric (Sr,La)TiO3 thin films is determined using electrical and spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) measurements. Oxygen vacancy concentration was varied by ex-situ annealing in Ar and Ar/H2. All films exhibited degenerate semiconducting behavior, and electrical conductivity decreased (258–133 S cm−1) with increasing oxygen content. Similar decrease in the Seebeck coefficient is observed and attributed to a decrease in effective mass (7.8–3.2 me ), as determined by SE. Excellent agreement between transport properties deduced from SE and direct electrical measurements suggests that SE is an effective tool for studying oxide thin film thermoelectrics.

Modeling the transport properties of epitaxially grown thermoelectric oxide thin films using spectroscopic ellipsometry

KAUST Repository

Sarath Kumar, S. R.; Abutaha, Anas I.; Hedhili, Mohamed N.; Alshareef, Husam N.

2012-01-01

The influence of oxygen vacancies on the transport properties of epitaxial thermoelectric (Sr,La)TiO3 thin films is determined using electrical and spectroscopic ellipsometry (SE) measurements. Oxygen vacancy concentration was varied by ex-situ annealing in Ar and Ar/H2. All films exhibited degenerate semiconducting behavior, and electrical conductivity decreased (258–133 S cm−1) with increasing oxygen content. Similar decrease in the Seebeck coefficient is observed and attributed to a decrease in effective mass (7.8–3.2 me ), as determined by SE. Excellent agreement between transport properties deduced from SE and direct electrical measurements suggests that SE is an effective tool for studying oxide thin film thermoelectrics.

Bi-epitaxial YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub x} Thin Films on Tilted-axes NdGaO{sub 3} Substrates with CeO{sub 2} Seeding Layer

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mozhaev, P B [Institute of Physics and Technology RAS, 117218, Moscow (Russian Federation); Mozhaeva, J E [Institute of Physics and Technology RAS, 117218, Moscow (Russian Federation); Jacobsen, C S [Technical University of Denmark, Physics Department, Lyngby, DK-2800, Denmark (Denmark); Hansen, J Bindslev [Technical University of Denmark, Physics Department, Lyngby, DK-2800, Denmark (Denmark); Bdikin, I K [CICECO, University of Aveiro, Aveiro, 3810-193 (Portugal); Luzanov, V A [Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics, Moscow, 125009 (Russian Federation); Kotelyanskii, I M [Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics, Moscow, 125009 (Russian Federation); Zybtsev, S G [Institute of Radio Engineering and Electronics, Moscow, 125009 (Russian Federation)

2006-06-01

Bi-epitaxial YBa{sub 2}Cu{sub 3}O{sub x} (YBCO) thin films with out-of-plane tilt angle in the range 18 - 27{sup 0} were manufactured using pulsed laser deposition on NdGaO{sub 3} tilted-axes substrates with CeO{sub 2} seeding layers. The YBCO thin film orientation over the seeding layer depended on deposition conditions. Removal of the seeding layer from part of the substrate surface by ionbeam etching resulted in formation of a bi-epitaxial thin film with different c-axis orientation of two parts of the film. The bi-epitaxial film orientation and structure were studied using X-ray diffraction techniques, and surface morphology was observed with atomic force microscope (AFM). Photolithography and ion-beam etching techniques were used for patterning bi-epitaxial thin films. Electrical characterization of the obtained structures was performed.

Magnetic properties of novel epitaxial films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bader, S.D.; Moog, E.R.

1986-09-01

The surface magneto-optic Kerr effect (SMOKE) is used to explore the magnetism of ultra-thin Fe Films extending into the monolayer regime. Both bcc α-Fe and fcc γ-Fe single-crystalline, multilayer films are prepared on the bulk-terminated (1 x 1) structures of Au(100) and Cu(100), respectively. The characterizations of epitaxy and growth mode are performed using low energy electron diffraction and Auger electron spectroscopy. Monolayer-range Fe/Au(100) is ferromagnetic with a lower Curie temperature than bulk α-Fe. The controversial γ-Fe/Cu(100) system exhibits a striking, metastable, surface magnetic phase at temperatures above room temperature, but does not exhibit bulk ferromagnetism

Magnetoresistance at artificial interfaces in epitaxial ferromagnetic thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fontcuberta, J.; Bibes, M.; Martinez, B.; Trtik, V.; Ferrater, C.; Sanchez, F.; Varela, M.

2000-01-01

Epitaxial La 2/3 Sr 1/3 MnO 3 and SrRuO 3 thin films have been grown by laser ablation on single-crystalline SrTiO 3 substrates. Prior to manganite or ruthenate deposition tracks have been patterned on the SrTiO 3 substrate by using an appropriately focused laser beam. In the experiments here reported linear tracks have been formed. The magnetotransport properties of the films, particularly the magnetoresistance, along paths parallel and perpendicular to the track have been extensively investigated and compared to similar data recorded on films grown on bicrystalline STO substrates. Whereas in LSMO a significant low-field tunnel magnetoresistance develops across the artificial interface, in SRO this tunnel contribution is absent. However, a significant high-field magnetoresistance is observed for both metallic and ferromagnetic systems. The results are analysed and discussed within the framework of the current understanding of double exchange and itinerant ferromagnets. Magnetoresistance data for various configurations of the track array are presented

Epitaxial growth and characterization of CuGa2O4 films by laser molecular beam epitaxy

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hongling Wei

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Ga2O3 with a wide bandgap of ∼ 4.9 eV can crystalize in five crystalline phases. Among those phases, the most stable monoclinic β-Ga2O3 has been studied most, however, it is hard to find materials lattice matching with β-Ga2O3 to grown epitaxial thin films for optoelectronic applications. In this work, CuGa2O4 bulk were prepared by solid state reaction as target, and the films were deposited on sapphire substrates by laser molecular beam epitaxy (L-MBE at different substrate temperatures. The influences of substrate temperature on structural and optical properties have been systematically investigated by means of X-ray diffraction, Transmission electron microscope and UV-vis absorption spectra. High quality cubic structure and [111] oriented CuGa2O4 film can be obtained at substrate temperature of 750 °C. It’s also demonstrated that the CuGa2O4 film has a bandgap of ∼ 4.4 eV and a best crystal quality at 750 °C, suggesting that CuGa2O4 film is a promising candidate for applications in ultraviolet optoelectronic devices.

Growth of Ferromagnetic Epitaxial Film of Hexagonal FeGe on (111) Ge Surface

Science.gov (United States)

Kumar, Dushyant; Joshi, P. C.; Hossain, Z.; Budhani, R. C.

2014-03-01

The realization of semiconductors showing ferromagnetic order at easily accessible temperatures has been of interest due to their potential use in spintronic devices where long spin life times are of key interest. We have realized the growth of FeGe thin films on Ge (111) wafers using pulsed laser deposition (PLD). The stoichiometric and single phase FeGe target used in PLD chamber has been made by arc melting. A typical θ-2 θ diffraction spectra performed on 40 nm thick FeGe film suggests the stabilization of β-Ni2In (B82-type) hexagonal phase with an epitaxial orientation of (0001)FeGe ||(111)Ge and [11-20]FeGe ||[-110]Ge. SEM images shows a granular structure with the formation of very large grains of about 100 to 500 nm in lateral dimension. The magnetization vs. temperature data taken from SQUID reveal the TC of ~ 270K. Since, PLD technique makes it easier to stabilize the B82 (Ni2In) hexagonal phase in thin FeGe films, this work opens opportunities to reinvestigate many conflicting results on various properties of the FeGe system.

Epitaxial growth of higher transition-temperature VO2 films on AlN/Si

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tetiana Slusar

2016-02-01

Full Text Available We report the epitaxial growth and the mechanism of a higher temperature insulator-to-metal-transition (IMT of vanadium dioxide (VO2 thin films synthesized on aluminum nitride (AlN/Si (111 substrates by a pulsed-laser-deposition method; the IMT temperature is TIMT ≈ 350 K. X-ray diffractometer and high resolution transmission electron microscope data show that the epitaxial relationship of VO2 and AlN is VO2 (010 ‖ AlN (0001 with VO2 [101] ‖   AlN   [ 2 1 ̄ 1 ̄ 0 ] zone axes, which results in a substrate-induced tensile strain along the in-plane a and c axes of the insulating monoclinic VO2. This strain stabilizes the insulating phase of VO2 and raises TIMT for 10 K higher than TIMT single crystal ≈ 340 K in a bulk VO2 single crystal. Near TIMT, a resistance change of about four orders is observed in a thick film of ∼130 nm. The VO2/AlN/Si heterostructures are promising for the development of integrated IMT-Si technology, including thermal switchers, transistors, and other applications.

Growth and Characterisation of Pulsed-Laser Deposited Tin Thin Films on Cube-Textured Copper at Different Temperatures

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Szwachta G.

2016-06-01

Full Text Available High-quality titanium nitride thin films have been grown on a cube-textured copper surface via pulsed laser deposition. The growth of TiN thin films has been very sensitive to pre-treatment procedure and substrate temperature. It is difficult to grow heteroexpitaxial TiN films directly on copper tape due to large differences in lattice constants, thermal expansion coefficients of the two materials as well as polycrystalline structure of substrate. The X-Ray diffraction measurement revealed presence of high peaks belonged to TiN(200 and TiN(111 thin films, depending on used etcher of copper surface. The electron diffraction patterns of TiN(200/Cu films confirmed the single-crystal nature of the films with cube-on-cube epitaxy. The high-resolution microscopy on our films revealed sharp interfaces between copper and titanium nitride with no presence of interfacial reaction.

Resistance switching in epitaxial SrCoO{sub x} thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tambunan, Octolia T.; Parwanta, Kadek J.; Acharya, Susant K.; Lee, Bo Wha; Jung, Chang Uk, E-mail: cu-jung@hufs.ac.kr [Department of Physics, Hankuk University of Foreign Studies, Yongin 449-791 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Yeon Soo; Park, Bae Ho [Division of Quantum Phases and Devices, Department of Physics, Konkuk University, Seoul 143-791 (Korea, Republic of); Jeong, Huiseong; Park, Ji-Yong [Department of Physics and Division of Energy System Research, Ajou University, Suwon 443-749 (Korea, Republic of); Cho, Myung Rae; Park, Yun Daniel [Department of Physics and Astronomy and Center for Subwavelength Optics, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-747 (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Woo Seok [Department of Physics, Sungkyunkwan University, Suwon 440-746 (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Dong-Wook [Department of Physics, Ewha Womans University, Seoul 120-750 (Korea, Republic of); Jin, Hyunwoo; Lee, Suyoun [Electronic Materials Research Center, Korea Institute of Science and Technology, Seoul 136-791 (Korea, Republic of); Song, Seul Ji; Kang, Sung-Jin; Kim, Miyoung; Hwang, Cheol Seong [Department of Material Science and Engineering, Seoul National University, Seoul 151-747 (Korea, Republic of)

2014-08-11

We observed bipolar switching behavior from an epitaxial strontium cobaltite film grown on a SrTiO{sub 3} (001) substrate. The crystal structure of strontium cobaltite has been known to undergo topotactic phase transformation between two distinct phases: insulating brownmillerite (SrCoO{sub 2.5}) and conducting perovskite (SrCoO{sub 3−δ}) depending on the oxygen content. The current–voltage characteristics of the strontium cobaltite film showed that it could have a reversible insulator-to-metal transition triggered by electrical bias voltage. We propose that the resistance switching in the SrCoO{sub x} thin film could be related to the topotactic phase transformation and the peculiar structure of SrCoO{sub 2.5}.

MnSi nanostructures obtained from epitaxially grown thin films: magnetotransport and Hall effect

Science.gov (United States)

Schroeter, D.; Steinki, N.; Schilling, M.; Fernández Scarioni, A.; Krzysteczko, P.; Dziomba, T.; Schumacher, H. W.; Menzel, D.; Süllow, S.

2018-06-01

We present a comparative study of the (magneto)transport properties, including Hall effect, of bulk, epitaxially grown thin film and nanostructured MnSi. In order to set our results in relation to published data we extensively characterize our materials, this way establishing a comparatively good sample quality. Our analysis reveals that in particular for thin film and nanostructured material, there are extrinsic and intrinsic contributions to the electronic transport properties, which by modeling the data we separate out. Finally, we discuss our Hall effect data of nanostructured MnSi under consideration of the extrinsic contributions and with respect to the question of the detection of a topological Hall effect in a skyrmionic lattice.

Structural and dielectric properties of (001) and (111)-oriented BaZr0.2Ti0.8O3 epitaxial thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ventura, J.; Fina, I.; Ferrater, C.; Langenberg, E.; Coy, L.E.; Polo, M.C.; Garcia-Cuenca, M.V.; Fabrega, L.; Varela, M.

2010-01-01

We have grown and characterized BaZr 0.2 Ti 0.8 O 3 (BZT) epitaxial thin films deposited on (001) and (111)-oriented SrRuO 3 -buffered SrTiO 3 substrates by pulsed laser deposition. Structural and morphological characterizations were performed using X-ray diffractometry and atomic force microscopy, respectively. A cube-on-cube epitaxial relationship was ascertained from the θ-2θ and φ diffractograms in both (001) and (111)-oriented films. The (001)-oriented films showed a smooth granular morphology, whereas the faceted pyramid-like crystallites of the (111)-oriented films led to a rough surface. The dielectric response of BZT at room temperature was measured along the growth direction. The films were found to be ferroelectric, although a well-saturated hysteresis loop was obtained only for the (001)-oriented films. High leakage currents were observed for the (111) orientation, likely associated to charge transport along the boundaries of its crystallites. The remanent polarization, coercive field, dielectric constant, and relative change of dielectric permittivity (tunability) of (111)-oriented BZT were higher than those of (001)-oriented BZT.

Reversal of lattice, electronic structure, and magnetism in epitaxial SrCoOx thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Jeen, H.; Choi, W. S.; Lee, J. H.; Cooper, V. R.; Lee, H. N.; Seo, S. S. A.; Rabe, K. M.

2014-03-01

SrCoOx (x = 2.5 - 3.0, SCO) is an ideal material to study the role of oxygen content for electronic structure and magnetism, since SCO has two distinct topotactic phases: the antiferromagnetic insulating brownmillerite SrCoO2.5 and the ferromagnetic metallic perovskite SrCoO3. In this presentation, we report direct observation of a reversible lattice and electronic structure evolution in SrCoOx epitaxial thin films as well as different magnetic and electronic ground states between the topotactic phases.[2] By magnetization measurements, optical absorption, and transport measurements drastically different electronic and magnetic ground states are found in the epitaxially grown SrCoO2.5 and SrCoO3 thin films by pulsed laser epitaxy. First-principles calculations confirm substantial, which originate from the modification in the Co valence states and crystallographic structures. By real-time spectroscopic ellipsometry, the two electronically and magnetically different phases can be reversibly changed by changing the ambient pressure at greatly reduced temperatures. Our finding provides an important pathway to understanding the novel oxygen-content-dependent phase transition uniquely found in multivalent transition metal oxides. The work was supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, Basic Energy Sciences, Materials Sciences and Engineering Division.

Structural properties of relaxed thin film germanium layers grown by low temperature RF-PECVD epitaxy on Si and Ge (100) substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cariou, R., E-mail: romain.cariou@polytechnique.edu [LPICM-CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128, Palaiseau (France); III-V lab a joint laboratory between Alcatel-Lucent Bell Labs France, Thales Research and Technology and CEA-LETI, route de Nozay, 91460, Marcoussis, France. (France); Ruggeri, R. [LPICM-CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128, Palaiseau (France); CNR-IMM, strada VIII n°5, zona industriale, 95121, Catania (Italy); Tan, X.; Nassar, J.; Roca i Cabarrocas, P. [LPICM-CNRS, Ecole Polytechnique, 91128, Palaiseau (France); Mannino, Giovanni [CNR-IMM, strada VIII n°5, zona industriale, 95121, Catania (Italy)

2014-07-15

We report on unusual low temperature (175 °C) heteroepitaxial growth of germanium thin films using a standard radio-frequency plasma process. Spectroscopic ellipsometry and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) reveal a perfect crystalline quality of epitaxial germanium layers on (100) c-Ge wafers. In addition direct germanium crystal growth is achieved on (100) c-Si, despite 4.2% lattice mismatch. Defects rising from Ge/Si interface are mostly located within the first tens of nanometers, and threading dislocation density (TDD) values as low as 10{sup 6} cm{sup −2} are obtained. Misfit stress is released fast: residual strain of −0.4% is calculated from Moiré pattern analysis. Moreover we demonstrate a striking feature of low temperature plasma epitaxy, namely the fact that crystalline quality improves with thickness without epitaxy breakdown, as shown by TEM and depth profiling of surface TDD.

Epitaxial growth and magnetic properties of Fe4-xMnxN thin films grown on MgO(0 0 1) substrates by molecular beam epitaxy

Science.gov (United States)

Anzai, Akihito; Takata, Fumiya; Gushi, Toshiki; Toko, Kaoru; Suemasu, Takashi

2018-05-01

Epitaxial Fe4-xMnxN (x = 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4) thin films were successfully grown on MgO(0 0 1) single-crystal substrates by molecular beam epitaxy, and their crystalline qualities and magnetic properties were investigated. It was found that the lattice constants of Fe4-xMnxN obtained from X-ray diffraction measurement increased with the Mn content. The ratio of the perpendicular lattice constant c to the in-plane lattice constant a of Fe4-xMnxN was found to be about 0.99 at x ⩾ 2. The magnetic properties evaluated using a vibrating sample magnetometer at room temperature revealed that all of the Fe4-xMnxN films exhibited ferromagnetic behavior regardless of the value of x. In addition, the saturation magnetization decreased non-linearly as the Mn content increased. Finally, FeMn3N and Mn4N exhibited perpendicular anisotropy and their uniaxial magnetic anisotropy energies were 2.2 × 105 and 7.5 × 105 erg/cm3, respectively.

In-plane microwave dielectric properties of paraelectric barium strontium titanate thin films with anisotropic epitaxy

Science.gov (United States)

Simon, W. K.; Akdogan, E. K.; Safari, A.; Bellotti, J. A.

2005-08-01

In-plane dielectric properties of ⟨110⟩ oriented epitaxial (Ba0.60Sr0.40)TiO3 thin films in the thickness range from 25-1200nm have been investigated under the influence of anisotropic epitaxial strains from ⟨100⟩ NdGaO3 substrates. The measured dielectric properties show strong residual strain and in-plane directional dependence. Below 150nm film thickness, there appears to be a phase transition due to the anisotropic nature of the misfit strain relaxation. In-plane relative permittivity is found to vary from as much as 500-150 along [11¯0] and [001] respectively, in 600nm thick films, and from 75 to 500 overall. Tunability was found to vary from as much as 54% to 20% in all films and directions, and in a given film the best tunability is observed along the compressed axis in a mixed strain state, 54% along [11¯0] in the 600nm film for example.

Nanosheet controlled epitaxial growth of PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 thin films on glass substrates

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bayraktar, Muharrem; Chopra, A.; Bijkerk, Frederik; Rijnders, Augustinus J.H.M.

2014-01-01

Integration of PbZr0.52Ti0.48O3 (PZT) films on glass substrates is of high importance for device applications. However, to make use of the superior ferro- and piezoelectric properties of PZT, well-oriented crystalline or epitaxial growth with control of the crystal orientation is a prerequisite. In

Effects of substrate temperature and Cu underlayer thickness on the formation of SmCo5(0001) epitaxial thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ohtake, Mitsuru; Nukaga, Yuri; Futamoto, Masaaki; Kirino, Fumiyoshi

2010-01-01

SmCo 5 (0001) epitaxial thin films were prepared on Cu(111) underlayers heteroepitaxially grown on Al 2 O 3 (0001) single-crystal substrates by molecular beam epitaxy. The effects of substrate temperature and Cu underlayer thickness on the crystallographic properties of SmCo 5 (0001) epitaxial films were investigated. The Cu atoms of underlayer diffuse into the SmCo 5 film and substitute the Co sites in SmCo 5 structure forming an alloy compound of Sm(Co,Cu) 5 . The ordered phase formation is enhanced with increasing the substrate temperature and with increasing the Cu underlayer thickness. The Cu atom diffusion into the SmCo 5 film is assisting the formation of Sm(Co,Cu) 5 ordered phase.

Laser process for extended silicon thin film solar cells

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hessmann, M.T.; Kunz, T.; Burkert, I.; Gawehns, N.; Schaefer, L.; Frick, T.; Schmidt, M.; Meidel, B.; Auer, R.; Brabec, C.J.

2011-01-01

We present a large area thin film base substrate for the epitaxy of crystalline silicon. The concept of epitaxial growth of silicon on large area thin film substrates overcomes the area restrictions of an ingot based monocrystalline silicon process. Further it opens the possibility for a roll to roll process for crystalline silicon production. This concept suggests a technical pathway to overcome the limitations of silicon ingot production in terms of costs, throughput and completely prevents any sawing losses. The core idea behind these thin film substrates is a laser welding process of individual, thin silicon wafers. In this manuscript we investigate the properties of laser welded monocrystalline silicon foils (100) by micro-Raman mapping and spectroscopy. It is shown that the laser beam changes the crystalline structure of float zone grown silicon along the welding seam. This is illustrated by Raman mapping which visualizes compressive stress as well as tensile stress in a range of - 147.5 to 32.5 MPa along the welding area.

Mechanical properties of metal-organic frameworks: An indentation study on epitaxial thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Bundschuh, S.; Kraft, O.; Arslan, H. K.; Gliemann, H.; Weidler, P. G.; Wöll, C.

2012-09-01

We have determined the hardness and Young's modulus of a highly porous metal-organic framework (MOF) using a standard nanoindentation technique. Despite the very low density of these films, 1.22 g cm-3, Young's modulus reaches values of almost 10 GPa for HKUST-1, demonstrating that this porous coordination polymer is substantially stiffer than normal polymers. This progress in characterizing mechanical properties of MOFs has been made possible by the use of high quality, oriented thin films grown using liquid phase epitaxy on modified Au substrates.

Effect of epitaxial strain and lattice mismatch on magnetic and transport behaviors in metamagnetic FeRh thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Xie, Yali; Zhan, Qingfeng; Shang, Tian; Yang, Huali; Wang, Baomin; Tang, Jin; Li, Run-Wei

2017-05-01

We grew 80 nm FeRh films on different single crystals with various lattice constants. FeRh films on SrTiO3 (STO) and MgO substrates exhibit an epitaxial growth of 45° in-plane structure rotation. In contrast, FeRh on LaAlO3 (LAO) displays a mixed epitaxial growth of both 45° in-plane structure rotation and cube-on-cube relationships. Due to the different epitaxial growth strains and lattice mismatch values, the critical temperature for the magnetic phase transition of FeRh can be changed between 405 and 360 K. In addition, the external magnetic field can shift this critical temperature to low temperature in different rates for FeRh films grown on different substrates. The magnetoresistance appears a maximum value at different temperatures between 320 and 380 K for FeRh films grown on different substrates.

Effect of epitaxial strain and lattice mismatch on magnetic and transport behaviors in metamagnetic FeRh thin films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yali Xie

2017-05-01

Full Text Available We grew 80 nm FeRh films on different single crystals with various lattice constants. FeRh films on SrTiO3 (STO and MgO substrates exhibit an epitaxial growth of 45° in-plane structure rotation. In contrast, FeRh on LaAlO3 (LAO displays a mixed epitaxial growth of both 45° in-plane structure rotation and cube-on-cube relationships. Due to the different epitaxial growth strains and lattice mismatch values, the critical temperature for the magnetic phase transition of FeRh can be changed between 405 and 360 K. In addition, the external magnetic field can shift this critical temperature to low temperature in different rates for FeRh films grown on different substrates. The magnetoresistance appears a maximum value at different temperatures between 320 and 380 K for FeRh films grown on different substrates.

Epitaxial growth of silicon and germanium on (100-oriented crystalline substrates by RF PECVD at 175 °C

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mauguin O.

2012-11-01

Full Text Available We report on the epitaxial growth of crystalline Si and Ge thin films by standard radio frequency plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition at 175 °C on (100-oriented silicon substrates. We also demonstrate the epitaxial growth of silicon films on epitaxially grown germanium layers so that multilayer samples sustaining epitaxy could be produced. We used spectroscopic ellipsometry, Raman spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy and X-ray diffraction to characterize the structure of the films (amorphous, crystalline. These techniques were found to provide consistent results and provided information on the crystallinity and constraints in such lattice-mismatched structures. These results open the way to multiple quantum-well structures, which have been so far limited to few techniques such as Molecular Beam Epitaxy or MetalOrganic Chemical Vapor Deposition.

Optimized electrode coverage of membrane actuators based on epitaxial PZT thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen, M D; Dekkers, M; Blank, D H A; Rijnders, G; Nazeer, H

2013-01-01

This research presents an optimization of piezoelectric membrane actuators by maximizing the actuator displacement. Membrane actuators based on epitaxial Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 thin films grown on all-oxide electrodes and buffer layers using silicon technology were fabricated. Electrode coverage was found to be an important factor in the actuation displacement of the piezoelectric membranes. The optimum electrode coverage for maximum displacement was theoretically determined to be 39%, which is in good agreement with the experimental results. Dependences of membrane displacement and optimum electrode coverage on membrane diameter and PZT-film/Si-device-layer thickness ratio have also been investigated. (paper)

Epitaxial growth of GaSb on V-grooved Si (001) substrates with an ultrathin GaAs stress relaxing layer

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Qiang; Lai, Billy; Lau, Kei May

2017-10-01

We report epitaxial growth of GaSb nano-ridge structures and planar thin films on V-groove patterned Si (001) substrates by leveraging the aspect ratio trapping technique. GaSb was deposited on {111} Si facets of the V-shaped trenches using metal-organic chemical vapor deposition with a 7 nm GaAs growth initiation layer. Transmission electron microscopy analysis reveals the critical role of the GaAs layer in providing a U-shaped surface for subsequent GaSb epitaxy. A network of misfit dislocations was uncovered at the GaSb/GaAs hetero-interface. We studied the evolution of the lattice relaxation as the growth progresses from closely pitched GaSb ridges to coalesced thin films using x-ray diffraction. The omega rocking curve full-width-at-half-maximum of the resultant GaSb thin film is among the lowest values reported by molecular beam epitaxy, substantiating the effectiveness of the defect necking mechanism. These results thus present promising opportunities for the heterogeneous integration of devices based on 6.1 Å family compound semiconductors.

Combinatorial screening of halide perovskite thin films and solar cells by mask-defined IR laser molecular beam epitaxy

OpenAIRE

Kawashima, Kazuhiro; Okamoto, Yuji; Annayev, Orazmuhammet; Toyokura, Nobuo; Takahashi, Ryota; Lippmaa, Mikk; Itaka, Kenji; Suzuki, Yoshikazu; Matsuki, Nobuyuki; Koinuma, Hideomi

2017-01-01

Abstract As an extension of combinatorial molecular layer epitaxy via ablation of perovskite oxides by a pulsed excimer laser, we have developed a laser molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) system for parallel integration of nano-scaled thin films of organic?inorganic hybrid materials. A pulsed infrared (IR) semiconductor laser was adopted for thermal evaporation of organic halide (A-site: CH3NH3I) and inorganic halide (B-site: PbI2) powder targets to deposit repeated A/B bilayer films where the thic...

One-step Ge/Si epitaxial growth.

Science.gov (United States)

Wu, Hung-Chi; Lin, Bi-Hsuan; Chen, Huang-Chin; Chen, Po-Chin; Sheu, Hwo-Shuenn; Lin, I-Nan; Chiu, Hsin-Tien; Lee, Chi-Young

2011-07-01

Fabricating a low-cost virtual germanium (Ge) template by epitaxial growth of Ge films on silicon wafer with a Ge(x)Si(1-x) (0 deposition method in one step by decomposing a hazardousless GeO(2) powder under hydrogen atmosphere without ultra-high vacuum condition and then depositing in a low-temperature region. X-ray diffraction analysis shows that the Ge film with an epitaxial relationship is along the in-plane direction of Si. The successful growth of epitaxial Ge films on Si substrate demonstrates the feasibility of integrating various functional devices on the Ge/Si substrates.

Low-field tunnel-type magnetoresistance properties of polycrystalline and epitaxial La sub 0 sub . sub 6 sub 7 Sr sub 0 sub . sub 3 sub 3 MnO sub 3 thin films

CERN Document Server

Shim, I B; Choi, S Y

2000-01-01

The low-field tunnel-type magnetoresistance (TMB) properties of sol-gel derived polycrystalline and epitaxial La sub 0 sub . sub 6 sub 7 Sr sub 0 sub . sub 3 sub 3 MnO sub 3 (LSMO) thin films were investigated. The polycrystalline thin films were fabricated on Si (100) with a thermally oxidized SiO sub 2 layer while the epitaxial thin films were grown on LaAlO sub 3 (001) single-crystal substrates. The epitaxial thin films displayed both typical intrinsic colossal magnetoresistance (CMR) and abnormal extrinsic tunnel-type magnetoresistance behaviors. Tunnel-type MR ratio as high as 0.4% were observed in the polycrystalline thin films at a field of 120 Oe at room temperature (300 K) whereas the ratios were less than 0.1% for the epitaxial films in the same field range. The low-field tunnel-type MR of polycrystalline LSMO/SiO sub 2 ?Si (100) thin films originated from the behaviors of the grain-boundary properties.

Ultra-smooth epitaxial Ge grown on Si(001) utilizing a thin C-doped Ge buffer layer

KAUST Repository

Mantey, J.; Hsu, W.; James, J.; Onyegam, E. U.; Guchhait, S.; Banerjee, S. K.

2013-01-01

Here, we present work on epitaxial Ge films grown on a thin buffer layer of C doped Ge (Ge:C). The growth rate of Ge:C is found to slow over time and is thus unsuitable for thick (>20 nm) layers. We demonstrate Ge films from 10 nm to >150 nm

Growth and magnetic properties of multiferroic LaxBi1-xMnO3 thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Gajek, M.; Bibes, M.; Wyczisk, F.; Varela, M.; Fontcuberta, J.; Barthélémy, A.

2007-05-01

A comparative study of LaxBi1-xMnO3 thin films grown on SrTiO3 substrates is reported. It is shown that these films grow epitaxially in a narrow pressure-temperature range. A detailed structural and compositional characterization of the films is performed within the growth window. The structure and the magnetization of this system are investigated. We find a clear correlation between the magnetization and the unit-cell volume that we ascribe to Bi deficiency and the resultant introduction of a mixed valence on the Mn ions. On these grounds, we show that the reduced magnetization of LaxBi1-xMnO3 thin films compared to the bulk can be explained quantitatively by a simple model, taking into account the deviation from nominal composition and the Goodenough-Kanamori-Anderson rules of magnetic interactions.

Chemical solution synthesis and ferromagnetic resonance of epitaxial thin films of yttrium iron garnet

Science.gov (United States)

Lucas, Irene; Jiménez-Cavero, Pilar; Vila-Fungueiriño, J. M.; Magén, Cesar; Sangiao, Soraya; de Teresa, José Maria; Morellón, Luis; Rivadulla, Francisco

2017-12-01

We report the fabrication of epitaxial Y3F e5O12 (YIG) thin films on G d3G a5O12 (111) using a chemical solution method. Cubic YIG is a ferrimagnetic material at room temperature, with excellent magneto-optical properties, high electrical resistivity, and a very narrow ferromagnetic resonance, which makes it particularly suitable for applications in filters and resonators at microwave frequencies. But these properties depend on the precise stoichiometry and distribution of F e3 + ions among the octahedral/tetrahedral sites of a complex structure, which hampered the production of high-quality YIG thin films by affordable chemical methods. Here we report the chemical solution synthesis of YIG thin films, with excellent chemical, crystalline, and magnetic homogeneity. The films show a very narrow ferromagnetic resonance (long spin relaxation time), comparable to that obtained from high-vacuum physical deposition methods. These results demonstrate that chemical methods can compete to develop nanometer-thick YIG films with the quality required for spintronic devices and other high-frequency applications.

Angular dependence of magnetization reversal in epitaxial chromium telluride thin films with perpendicular magnetic anisotropy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pramanik, Tanmoy, E-mail: pramanik.tanmoy@utexas.edu; Roy, Anupam, E-mail: anupam@austin.utexas.edu; Dey, Rik, E-mail: rikdey@utexas.edu; Rai, Amritesh; Guchhait, Samaresh; Movva, Hema C.P.; Hsieh, Cheng-Chih; Banerjee, Sanjay K.

2017-09-01

Highlights: • Perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in epitaxial Cr{sub 2}Te{sub 3} has been investigated. • Presence of a relatively strong second order anisotropy contribution is observed. • Magnetization reversal is explained quantitatively using a 1D defect model. • Relative roles of nucleation and pinning in magnetization reversal are discussed. • Domain structures and switching process are visualized by micromagnetic simulation. - Abstract: We investigate magnetic anisotropy and magnetization reversal mechanism in chromium telluride thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy. We report existence of strong perpendicular magnetic anisotropy in these thin films, along with a relatively strong second order anisotropy contribution. The angular variation of the switching field observed from the magnetoresistance measurement is explained quantitatively using a one-dimensional defect model. The model reveals the relative roles of nucleation and pinning in the magnetization reversal, depending on the applied field orientation. Micromagnetic simulations are performed to visualize the domain structure and switching process.

Orientation-dependent physical properties of layered perovskite La{sub 1.3}Sr{sub 1.7}Mn{sub 2}O{sub 7} epitaxial thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Niu, Li-Wei; Guo, Bing; Chen, Chang-Le, E-mail: chenchl@nwpu.edu.cn; Luo, Bing-Cheng; Dong, Xiang-Lei; Jin, Ke-Xin

2017-04-01

In this paper, the resistivity and magnetization of orientation-engineered layered perovskite La{sub 1.3}Sr{sub 1.7}Mn{sub 2}O{sub 7} epitaxial thin films have been investigated. Epitaxial thin films were deposited on single-crystalline LaAlO{sub 3} (LAO) (001), (110) and (111) substrates by pulse laser deposition (PLD) technique. It is found that only the (100)-oriented thin film performs insulator behavior, whereas the (110) and (111)-oriented thin films exhibit obvious metal-insulator transition at 70 K and between 85 and 120 K, respectively. Moreover, the same spin freezing temperature and different spin-glass-like transition temperatures have been observed in various oriented films. The observed experimental results were discussed according to the electron-transport mechanism and spin dynamics.

Wet chemical deposition of single crystalline epitaxial manganite thin films with atomically flat surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mishra, Amita; Dutta, Anirban; Samaddar, Sayanti; Gupta, Anjan K.

2013-01-01

We report the wet chemical deposition of single crystalline epitaxial thin films of the colossal magneto-resistive manganite La 0.67 Sr 0.33 MnO 3 on the lattice-matched (001)-face of a La 0.3 Sr 0.7 Al 0.65 Ta 0.35 O 3 substrate. Topographic images of these films taken with a scanning tunneling microscope show atomically flat terraces separated by steps of monatomic height. The resistivity of these films shows an insulator-metal transition at 310 K, nearly coincident with the Curie temperature of 340 K, found from magnetization measurements. The films show a magnetoresistance of 7% at 300 K and 1.2 T. Their saturation magnetization value at low temperatures is consistent with that of the bulk. - Highlights: ► Wet chemical deposition of La 0.67 Sr 0.33 MnO 3 (LSMO) on a lattice-matched substrate. ► Single crystalline epitaxial LSMO films obtained. ► Flat terraces separated by monatomic steps observed by scanning tunneling microscope

Real-time growth study of plasma assisted atomic layer epitaxy of InN films by synchrotron x-ray methods

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nepal, Neeraj [U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20375; Anderson, Virginia R. [American Society for Engineering Education, 1818 N Street NW, Washington, DC 20036; Johnson, Scooter D. [U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20375; Downey, Brian P. [U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20375; Meyer, David J. [U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20375; DeMasi, Alexander [Physics Department, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215; Robinson, Zachary R. [Department of Physics, SUNY College at Brockport, 350 New Campus Dr, Brockport, New York 14420; Ludwig, Karl F. [Physics Department, Boston University, 590 Commonwealth Avenue, Boston, Massachusetts 02215; Eddy, Charles R. [U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, 4555 Overlook Avenue SW, Washington, DC 20375

2017-03-13

The temporal evolution of high quality indium nitride (InN) growth by plasma-assisted atomic layer epitaxy (ALEp) on a-plane sapphire at 200 and 248 °C was probed by synchrotron x-ray methods. The growth was carried out in a thin film growth facility installed at beamline X21 of the National Synchrotron Light Source at Brookhaven National Laboratory and at beamline G3 of the Cornell High Energy Synchrotron Source, Cornell University. Measurements of grazing incidence small angle x-ray scattering (GISAXS) during the initial cycles of growth revealed a broadening and scattering near the diffuse specular rod and the development of scattering intensities due to half unit cell thick nucleation islands in the Yoneda wing with correlation length scale of 7.1 and 8.2 nm, at growth temperatures (Tg) of 200 and 248 °C, respectively. At about 1.1 nm (two unit cells) of growth thickness nucleation islands coarsen, grow, and the intensity of correlated scattering peak increased at the correlation length scale of 8.0 and 8.7 nm for Tg = 200 and 248 °C, respectively. The correlated peaks at both growth temperatures can be fitted with a single peak Lorentzian function, which support single mode growth. Post-growth in situ x-ray reflectivity measurements indicate a growth rate of ~0.36 Å/cycle consistent with the growth rate previously reported for self-limited InN growth in a commercial ALEp reactor. Consistent with the in situ GISAXS study, ex situ atomic force microscopy power spectral density measurements also indicate single mode growth. Electrical characterization of the resulting film revealed an electron mobility of 50 cm2/V s for a 5.6 nm thick InN film on a-plane sapphire, which is higher than the previously reported mobility of much thicker InN films grown at higher temperature by molecular beam epitaxy directly on sapphire. These early results indicated that in situ synchrotron x-ray study of the epitaxial growth kinetics of InN films is a very powerful method to

Lattice distortion and strain relaxation in epitaxial thin films of multiferroic TbMnO3 probed by X-ray diffractometry and micro-Raman spectroscopy

Science.gov (United States)

Hu, Y.; Stender, D.; Medarde, M.; Lippert, T.; Wokaun, A.; Schneider, C. W.

2013-08-01

A detailed structural XRD analysis of (1 1 0)-oriented TbMnO3 thin films grown on (1 1 0)-YAlO3 substrates shows the co-existence of a strained and relaxed "sublayer" within the films due to strain relaxation during epitaxial growth by pulsed laser deposition. The substrate-film lattice mismatch yields a compressive strain anisotropy along the two in-plane directions, i.e. [1 -1 0] and [0 0 1] and a monoclinic distortion. A further manifestation of the growth-induced strain is the hardening of Raman active modes as a result of changed atomic motions along the [1 -1 0] and [0 0 1] directions.

Epitaxially grown polycrystalline silicon thin-film solar cells on solid-phase crystallised seed layers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Li, Wei, E-mail: weili.unsw@gmail.com; Varlamov, Sergey; Xue, Chaowei

2014-09-30

Highlights: • Crystallisation kinetic is used to analyse seed layer surface cleanliness. • Simplified RCA cleaning for the seed layer can shorten the epitaxy annealing duration. • RTA for the seed layer can improve the quality for both seed layer and epi-layer. • Epitaxial poly-Si solar cell performance is improved by RTA treated seed layer. - Abstract: This paper presents the fabrication of poly-Si thin film solar cells on glass substrates using seed layer approach. The solid-phase crystallised P-doped seed layer is not only used as the crystalline template for the epitaxial growth but also as the emitter for the solar cell structure. This paper investigates two important factors, surface cleaning and intragrain defects elimination for the seed layer, which can greatly influence the epitaxial grown solar cell performance. Shorter incubation and crystallisation time is observed using a simplified RCA cleaning than the other two wet chemical cleaning methods, indicating a cleaner seed layer surface is achieved. Cross sectional transmission microscope images confirm a crystallographic transferal of information from the simplified RCA cleaned seed layer into the epi-layer. RTA for the SPC seed layer can effectively eliminate the intragrain defects in the seed layer and improve structural quality of both of the seed layer and the epi-layer. Consequently, epitaxial grown poly-Si solar cell on the RTA treated seed layer shows better solar cell efficiency, V{sub oc} and J{sub sc} than the one on the seed layer without RTA treatment.

Low-temperature atomic layer epitaxy of AlN ultrathin films by layer-by-layer, in-situ atomic layer annealing.

Science.gov (United States)

Shih, Huan-Yu; Lee, Wei-Hao; Kao, Wei-Chung; Chuang, Yung-Chuan; Lin, Ray-Ming; Lin, Hsin-Chih; Shiojiri, Makoto; Chen, Miin-Jang

2017-01-03

Low-temperature epitaxial growth of AlN ultrathin films was realized by atomic layer deposition (ALD) together with the layer-by-layer, in-situ atomic layer annealing (ALA), instead of a high growth temperature which is needed in conventional epitaxial growth techniques. By applying the ALA with the Ar plasma treatment in each ALD cycle, the AlN thin film was converted dramatically from the amorphous phase to a single-crystalline epitaxial layer, at a low deposition temperature of 300 °C. The energy transferred from plasma not only provides the crystallization energy but also enhances the migration of adatoms and the removal of ligands, which significantly improve the crystallinity of the epitaxial layer. The X-ray diffraction reveals that the full width at half-maximum of the AlN (0002) rocking curve is only 144 arcsec in the AlN ultrathin epilayer with a thickness of only a few tens of nm. The high-resolution transmission electron microscopy also indicates the high-quality single-crystal hexagonal phase of the AlN epitaxial layer on the sapphire substrate. The result opens a window for further extension of the ALD applications from amorphous thin films to the high-quality low-temperature atomic layer epitaxy, which can be exploited in a variety of fields and applications in the near future.

Vacancy defects in epitaxial La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 thin films probed by a slow positron beam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jin, S W; Zhou, X Y; Wu, W B; Zhu, C F; Weng, H M; Wang, H Y; Zhang, X F; Ye, B J; Han, R D

2004-01-01

Vacancy defects in epitaxial La 0.7 Sr 0.3 MnO 3 (LSMO) thin films on LaAlO 3 substrates were detected using a variable energy positron beam. The line-shape S parameter of the epitaxial thin films deposited at different oxygen pressures was measured as a function of the implanting positron energy E. Our results show that the S parameter of the films changes non-monotonically with their deposition oxygen pressures. For the films deposited at lower oxygen pressures, the increase in S value in the films is attributed to the increase in oxygen vacancies and/or related defect-V O complexes, and for those deposited at higher oxygen pressures, the larger S parameter of the films is caused by the grain boundaries and/or metallic ion vacancies. The surface morphology of the films was also characterized to analyse the open volume defects in the LSMO films

Composition-induced structural, electrical, and magnetic phase transitions in AX-type mixed-valence cobalt oxynitride epitaxial thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takahashi, Jumpei; Oka, Daichi [Department of Chemistry, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), 3-2-1 Sakado, Takatsu, Kawasaki 213-0012 (Japan); Hirose, Yasushi, E-mail: hirose@chem.s.u-tokyo.ac.jp; Yang, Chang; Fukumura, Tomoteru; Hasegawa, Tetsuya [Department of Chemistry, School of Science, The University of Tokyo, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), 3-2-1 Sakado, Takatsu, Kawasaki 213-0012 (Japan); CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Nakao, Shoichiro [Kanagawa Academy of Science and Technology (KAST), 3-2-1 Sakado, Takatsu, Kawasaki 213-0012 (Japan); CREST, Japan Science and Technology Agency, 7-3-1 Hongo, Bunkyo, Tokyo 113-0033 (Japan); Harayama, Isao; Sekiba, Daiichiro [University of Tsukuba Tandem Accelerator Complex (UTTAC), 1-1-1 Tennoudai, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8577 (Japan)

2015-12-07

Synthesis of mid- to late-transition metal oxynitrides is generally difficult by conventional thermal ammonolysis because of thermal instability. In this letter, we synthesized epitaxial thin films of AX-type phase-pure cobalt oxynitrides (CoO{sub x}N{sub y}) by using nitrogen-plasma-assisted pulsed laser deposition and investigated their structural, electrical, and magnetic properties. The CoO{sub x}N{sub y} thin films with 0 ≤ y/(x + y) ≤ 0.63 grown on MgO (100) substrates showed a structural phase transition from rock salt (RS) to zinc blend at the nitrogen content y/(x + y) ∼ 0.5. As the nitrogen content increased, the room-temperature electrical resistivity of the CoO{sub x}N{sub y} thin films monotonically decreased from the order of 10{sup 5} Ω cm to 10{sup −4} Ω cm. Furthermore, we observed an insulator-to-metal transition at y/(x + y) ∼ 0.34 in the RS-CoO{sub x}N{sub y} phase, which has not yet been reported in Co{sup 2+}/Co{sup 3+} mixed-valence cobalt oxides with octahedral coordination. The low resistivity in the RS-CoO{sub x}N{sub y} phase, on the 10{sup −3} Ω cm order, may have originated from the intermediate spin state of Co{sup 3+} stabilized by the lowered crystal field symmetry of the CoO{sub 6−n}N{sub n} octahedra (n = 1, 2,…5). Magnetization measurements suggested that a magnetic phase transition occurred in the RS-CoO{sub x}N{sub y} films during the insulator-to-metal transition. These results demonstrate that low-temperature epitaxial growth is a promising approach for exploring novel electronic functionalities in oxynitrides.

Composition-induced structural, electrical, and magnetic phase transitions in AX-type mixed-valence cobalt oxynitride epitaxial thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takahashi, Jumpei; Oka, Daichi; Hirose, Yasushi; Yang, Chang; Fukumura, Tomoteru; Hasegawa, Tetsuya; Nakao, Shoichiro; Harayama, Isao; Sekiba, Daiichiro

2015-01-01

Synthesis of mid- to late-transition metal oxynitrides is generally difficult by conventional thermal ammonolysis because of thermal instability. In this letter, we synthesized epitaxial thin films of AX-type phase-pure cobalt oxynitrides (CoO x N y ) by using nitrogen-plasma-assisted pulsed laser deposition and investigated their structural, electrical, and magnetic properties. The CoO x N y thin films with 0 ≤ y/(x + y) ≤ 0.63 grown on MgO (100) substrates showed a structural phase transition from rock salt (RS) to zinc blend at the nitrogen content y/(x + y) ∼ 0.5. As the nitrogen content increased, the room-temperature electrical resistivity of the CoO x N y thin films monotonically decreased from the order of 10 5  Ω cm to 10 −4  Ω cm. Furthermore, we observed an insulator-to-metal transition at y/(x + y) ∼ 0.34 in the RS-CoO x N y phase, which has not yet been reported in Co 2+ /Co 3+ mixed-valence cobalt oxides with octahedral coordination. The low resistivity in the RS-CoO x N y phase, on the 10 −3  Ω cm order, may have originated from the intermediate spin state of Co 3+ stabilized by the lowered crystal field symmetry of the CoO 6−n N n octahedra (n = 1, 2,…5). Magnetization measurements suggested that a magnetic phase transition occurred in the RS-CoO x N y films during the insulator-to-metal transition. These results demonstrate that low-temperature epitaxial growth is a promising approach for exploring novel electronic functionalities in oxynitrides

Stranski-Krastanow islanding initiated on the stochastic rough surfaces of the epitaxially strained thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tarik Ogurtani, Omer; Celik, Aytac; Emre Oren, Ersin

2014-01-01

Quantum dots (QD) have discrete energy spectrum, which can be adjusted over a wide range by tuning composition, density, size, lattice strain, and morphology. These features make quantum dots attractive for the design and fabrication of novel electronic, magnetic and photonic devices and other functional materials used in cutting-edge applications. The formation of QD on epitaxially strained thin film surfaces, known as Stranski-Krastanow (SK) islands, has attracted great attention due to their unique electronic properties. Here, we present a systematic dynamical simulation study for the spontaneous evolution of the SK islands on the stochastically rough surfaces (nucleationless growth). During the development of SK islands through the mass accumulation at randomly selected regions of the film via surface drift-diffusion (induced by the capillary and mismatch stresses) with and/or without growth, one also observes the formation of an extremely thin wetting layer having a thickness of a few Angstroms. Above a certain threshold level of the mismatch strain and/or the size of the patch, the formation of multiple islands separated by shallow wetting layers is also observed as metastable states such as doublets even multiplets. These islands are converted into a distinct SK islands after long annealing times by coalescence through the long range surface diffusion. Extensive computer simulation studies demonstrated that after an initial transient regime, there is a strong quadratic relationship between the height of the SK singlet and the intensity of the lattice mismatch strain (in a wide range of stresses up to 8.5 GPa for germanium thin crystalline films), with the exception at those critical points where the morphological (shape change with necking) transition takes place.

Unit cell determination of epitaxial thin films based on reciprocal space vectors by high-resolution X-ray diffractometry

OpenAIRE

Yang, Ping; Liu, Huajun; Chen, Zuhuang; Chen, Lang; Wang, John

2013-01-01

A new approach, based on reciprocal space vectors (RSVs), is developed to determine Bravais lattice types and accurate lattice parameters of epitaxial thin films by high-resolution X-ray diffractometry (HR-XRD). The lattice parameters of single crystal substrates are employed as references to correct the systematic experimental errors of RSVs of thin films. The general procedure is summarized, involving correction of RSVs, derivation of raw unit cell, subsequent conversion to the Niggli unit ...

Polarized Raman scattering study of PSN single crystals and epitaxial thin films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Pokorný

2015-06-01

Full Text Available This paper describes a detailed analysis of the dependence of Raman scattering intensity on the polarization of the incident and inelastically scattered light in PbSc0.5Nb0.5O3 (PSN single crystals and epitaxially compressed thin films grown on (100-oriented MgO substrates. It is found that there are significant differences between the properties of the crystals and films, and that these differences can be attributed to the anticipated structural differences between these two forms of the same material. In particular, the scattering characteristics of the oxygen octahedra breathing mode near 810 cm-1 indicate a ferroelectric state for the crystals and a relaxor state for the films, which is consistent with the dielectric behaviors of these materials.

High efficiency thin film solar cells grown by molecular beam epitaxy (HEFTY)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mason, N.B.; Barnham, K.W.J.; Ballard, I.M.; Zhang, J. [Imperial College, London (United Kingdom)

2006-05-04

The project sought to show the UK as a world leader in the field of thin film crystalline solar cells. A premise was that the cell design be suitable for large-scale manufacturing and provide a basis for industrial exploitation. The study demonstrated (1) that silicon films grown at temperatures suitable for deposition on glass by Gas Phase Molecular Beam Epitaxy gives better PV cells than does Ultra Low Pressure Chemical Vapor Deposition; (2) a conversion energy of 15 per cent was achieved - the project target was 18 per cent and (3) one of the highest reported conversion efficiencies for a 15 micrometre silicon film was achieved. The study was carried out by BP Solar Limited under contract to the DTI.

Deposition of epitaxial thin films of Nd1.85Ce0.15CuO4-y by laser ablation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, A.; Koren, G.; Tsuei, C.C.; Segmuller, A.; McGuire, T.R.

1989-01-01

Thin films of the electron-doped superconductor Nd 1.85 Ce 0.15 CuO 4-y have been deposited on (100) SrTiO 3 substrates at 780 degree C using the laser ablation technique. The deposited films are very smooth and show epitaxial growth with the c axis normal to the substrate. The transport properties of the films are very sensitive to the concentration of oxygen vacancies. Films deposited and cooled in the presence of 150 mTorr O 2 exhibit localization behavior with no evidence of superconductivity down to 5 K. Superconductivity is observed on vacuum annealing the films in situ after deposition. Films with optimum concentration of oxygen vacancies show a superconducting onset temperature of 21 K and T c (R=0) of 20 K, with a critical current density of 2x10 5 A/cm 2 at 5.5 K in zero magnetic field

Resistivity Effects of Cation Ordering in Highly-Doped La2-xSrxCu4 Epitaxial Thin Films

Science.gov (United States)

Burquest, Franklin; Marmol, Rodrigo; Cox, Nicholas; Nelson-Cheeseman, Brittany

Highly-doped La2-xSrxCuO4 (LSCO) films (0.5 causes internal polar electrostatic forces, which have been shown to cause stretching of the apical oxygen bond in analogous epitaxial nickelate films. Thin film samples are grown concurrently to minimize extraneous effects on film structure and properties. Atomic force microscopy and x-ray reflectivity demonstrate that the films are single crystalline, epitaxial, and smooth. X-ray diffraction is used to measure the c-axis of the films as a function of doping and dopant cation ordering. Electrical transport data of the ordered samples is compared with transport data of conventional disordered cation samples. Preliminary data indicates significant differences in resistivity at both 300K and 10K between the cation-ordered and cation-disordered samples. This work indicates that dopant cation ordering within the layered cuprates could significantly modify the conduction mechanisms at play in these materials.

Structural characterization of ZnO films grown by molecular beam epitaxy on sapphire with MgO buffer

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pecz, B.; El-Shaer, A.; Bakin, A.; Mofor, A.-C.; Waag, A.; Stoemenos, J.

2006-01-01

The structural characteristics of the ZnO film grown on sapphire substrate using a thin MgO buffer layer were studied using transmission electron microscopy and high-resolution x-ray diffraction. The growth was carried out in a modified plasma-molecular beam epitaxy system. The observed misfit dislocations were well confined at the sapphire overgrown interface exhibiting domain matching epitaxy, where the integral multiples of lattice constants match across the interface. The main extended defects in the ZnO film were the threading dislocations having a mean density of 4x10 9 cm -2 . The formation of the MgO buffer layer as well as the ZnO growth were monitored in situ by reflection high-energy electron diffraction. The very thin ∼1 nm, MgO buffer layer can partially interdiffuse with the ZnO as well as react with the Al 2 O 3 substrate forming an intermediate epitaxial layer having the spinel (MgO/Al 2 O 3 ) structure

Molecular-Beam Epitaxially Grown MgB2 Thin Films and Superconducting Tunnel Junctions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jean-Baptiste Laloë

2011-01-01

Full Text Available Since the discovery of its superconducting properties in 2001, magnesium diboride has generated terrific scientific and engineering research interest around the world. With a of 39 K and two superconducting gaps, MgB2 has great promise from the fundamental point of view, as well as immediate applications. Several techniques for thin film deposition and heterojunction formation have been established, each with its own advantages and drawbacks. Here, we will present a brief overview of research based on MgB2 thin films grown by molecular beam epitaxy coevaporation of Mg and B. The films are smooth and highly crystalline, and the technique allows for virtually any heterostructure to be formed, including all-MgB2 tunnel junctions. Such devices have been characterized, with both quasiparticle and Josephson tunneling reported. MgB2 remains a material of great potential for a multitude of further characterization and exploration research projects and applications.

Growth and structure of Co/Au magnetic thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Marsot, N.

1999-01-01

We have studied the growth and the crystallographic structure of magnetic ultra thin cobalt/gold films (Co/Au), in order to investigate the correlations between their magnetic and structural properties. Room temperature (R.T.) Co growth on Au (111) proceeds in three stages. Up to 2 Co monolayers (ML), a bilayer island growth mode is observed. Between 2 and 5 ML, coalescence of the islands occurs, covering the substrate surface and a Co/Au mixing is observed resulting from the de-construction of the Herringbone reconstruction. Finally, beyond 5 ML, the CoAu mixing is buried and the Co growth continues in a 3-D growth. Annealing studies at 600 K on this system show a smoothing effect of the Co film, and at the same time, segregation of Au atoms. The quality of the Co/Au interface (sharpness) is not enhanced by the annealing. The local order was studied by SEXAFS and the long range order by GIXRD showing that the Co film has a hexagonal close packed structure, with an easy magnetization axis perpendicular to the surface. From a local order point of view, the Co grows with an incoherent epitaxy and keeps its own bulk parameters. The GIXRD analysis shows a residual strain in the Co film of 4%. The difference observed between the local order analysis and the long range order results is explained in terms of the low dimensions of the diffracting domains. The evolution of film strains, as a function of the Co coverage, shows a marked deviation from the elastic strain theory. Modification of the strain field in the Co film as a function of the Au coverage is studied by GIXRD analysis. The Au growth study, at R.T., shows no evidence of a Au/Co mixing in the case of the Au/Co interface. The Au overlayer adopts a twinned face centred cubic structure on the rough Co film surface. (author)

Epitaxial growth of topological insulator Bi{sub 2}Se{sub 3} film on Si(111) with atomically sharp interface

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bansal, Namrata [Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854 (United States); Kim, Yong Seung [Graphene Research Institute, Sejong University, Seoul 143-747 (Korea, Republic of); Edrey, Eliav; Brahlek, Matthew; Horibe, Yoichi [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854 (United States); Iida, Keiko; Tanimura, Makoto [Research Department, Nissan Arc, Ltd. Yokosuka, Kanagawa 237-0061 (Japan); Li Guohong; Feng Tian; Lee, Hang-Dong; Gustafsson, Torgny; Andrei, Eva [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers, State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854 (United States); Oh, Seongshik, E-mail: ohsean@physics.rutgers.edu [Department of Physics and Astronomy, Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey, Piscataway, NJ 08854 (United States)

2011-10-31

Atomically sharp epitaxial growth of Bi{sub 2}Se{sub 3} films is achieved on Si(111) substrate with molecular beam epitaxy. Two-step growth process is found to be a key to achieve interfacial-layer-free epitaxial Bi{sub 2}Se{sub 3} films on Si substrates. With a single-step high temperature growth, second phase clusters are formed at an early stage. On the other hand, with low temperature growth, the film tends to be disordered even in the absence of a second phase. With a low temperature initial growth followed by a high temperature growth, second-phase-free atomically sharp interface is obtained between Bi{sub 2}Se{sub 3} and Si substrate, as verified by reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED), transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and X-ray diffraction. The lattice constant of Bi{sub 2}Se{sub 3} is observed to relax to its bulk value during the first quintuple layer according to RHEED analysis, implying the absence of strain from the substrate. TEM shows a fully epitaxial structure of Bi{sub 2}Se{sub 3} film down to the first quintuple layer without any second phase or an amorphous layer.

Growth, structural, and electrical properties of germanium-on-silicon heterostructure by molecular beam epitaxy

Science.gov (United States)

Ghosh, Aheli; Clavel, Michael B.; Nguyen, Peter D.; Meeker, Michael A.; Khodaparast, Giti A.; Bodnar, Robert J.; Hudait, Mantu K.

2017-09-01

The growth, morphological, and electrical properties of thin-film Ge grown by molecular beam epitaxy on Si using a two-step growth process were investigated. High-resolution x-ray diffraction analysis demonstrated ˜0.10% tensile-strained Ge epilayer, owing to the thermal expansion coefficient mismatch between Ge and Si, and negligible epilayer lattice tilt. Micro-Raman spectroscopic analysis corroborated the strain-state of the Ge thin-film. Cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy revealed the formation of 90° Lomer dislocation network at Ge/Si heterointerface, suggesting the rapid and complete relaxation of Ge epilayer during growth. Atomic force micrographs exhibited smooth surface morphology with surface roughness published Dit data for Ge MOS devices, as a function of threading dislocation density within the Ge layer. The results obtained were comparable with Ge MOS devices integrated on Si via alternative buffer schemes. This comprehensive study of directly-grown epitaxial Ge-on-Si provides a pathway for the development of Ge-based electronic devices on Si.

Structural and superconducting properties of epitaxial Fe{sub 1+y}Se{sub 1-x}Te{sub x} thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Richter, Stefan; Yuan, Feifei; Grinenko, Vadim; Huehne, Ruben [Institute for Metallic Materials, IFW Dresden (Germany); Sala, Alberto; Putti, Marina [Dipartimento di Fisica, Universita di Genova (Italy)

2015-07-01

The iron based superconductor Fe(Se,Te) is in the center of much ongoing research. The reason for this is on the one hand its simple crystal structure, that consists only of stacked Fe(Se,Te) layers so that structural and superconducting properties can be connected more easily, on the other hand FeSe itself shows a high sensibility for strain and changes in stoichiometry and can have potentially very high critical temperatures under hydrostatic pressure or in monolayers. We investigate epitaxial thin films of Fe{sub 1+y}Se{sub 1-x}Te{sub x} grown by pulsed laser deposition on different single crystalline substrates. A high crystalline quality and a superconducting transition of up to about 20 K can be achieved using optimized deposition parameters. The influence of growth conditions, Te-doping, film thickness and post growth oxygen treatment on the structural and superconducting properties on these films will be presented in detail.

Persistent semi-metal-like nature of epitaxial perovskite CaIrO3 thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Biswas, Abhijit; Jeong, Yoon Hee

2015-01-01

Strong spin-orbit coupled 5d transition metal based ABO 3 oxides, especially iridates, allow tuning parameters in the phase diagram and may demonstrate important functionalities, for example, by means of strain effects and symmetry-breaking, because of the interplay between the Coulomb interactions and strong spin-orbit coupling. Here, we have epitaxially stabilized high quality thin films of perovskite (Pv) CaIrO 3 . Film on the best lattice-matched substrate shows semi-metal-like characteristics. Intriguingly, imposing tensile or compressive strain on the film by altering the underlying lattice-mismatched substrates still maintains semi-metallicity with minute modification of the effective correlation as tensile (compressive) strain results in tiny increases (decreases) of the electronic bandwidth. In addition, magnetoresistance remains positive with a quadratic field dependence. This persistent semi-metal-like nature of Pv-CaIrO 3 thin films with minute changes in the effective correlation by strain may provide new wisdom into strong spin-orbit coupled 5d based oxide physics

Heteroepitaxial growth of CuInS2 thin films on sapphire by radio frequency reactive sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

He, Y.B.; Kriegseis, W.; Meyer, B.K.; Polity, A.; Serafin, M.

2003-01-01

Direct heteroepitaxial growth of uniform stoichiometric CuInS 2 (CIS) thin films on sapphire (0001) substrates has been achieved by radio frequency reactive sputtering. X-ray ω-2θ scans reveal that the sputtered layers grow in a (112) orientation with a chalcopyrite structure. A rocking curve full width at half maximum of about 0.05 deg. (180 arc sec) for the (112) peak demonstrates a nearly perfect out-of-plane arrangement of CIS (112) parallel sapphire (0001). X-ray diffraction Phi scans further illustrate an excellent in-plane ordering of CIS [1-bar10] parallel sapphire (101-bar0). The sputtered thin CIS epilayers had a smooth surface with a typical root-mean-square roughness of about 3.3 nm as evaluated by atomic force microscopy. The epitaxial growth of tetragonal CIS on hexagonal sapphire provides evidence that heteroepitaxial growth may be realized between structures of different symmetry, such as films of cubic or tetragonal structures on hexagonal substrates or vice versa

Epitaxial c-axis oriented BaTiO3 thin films on SrTiO3-buffered Si(001) by atomic layer deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ngo, Thong Q.; McDaniel, Martin D.; Ekerdt, John G.; Posadas, Agham B.; Demkov, Alexander A.; Hu, Chengqing; Yu, Edward T.; Bruley, John

2014-01-01

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) of epitaxial c-axis oriented BaTiO 3 (BTO) on Si(001) using a thin (1.6 nm) buffer layer of SrTiO 3 (STO) grown by molecular beam epitaxy is reported. The ALD growth of crystalline BTO films at 225  °C used barium bis(triisopropylcyclopentadienyl), titanium tetraisopropoxide, and water as co-reactants. X-ray diffraction (XRD) reveals a high degree of crystallinity and c-axis orientation of as-deposited BTO films. Crystallinity is improved after vacuum annealing at 600  °C. Two-dimensional XRD confirms the tetragonal structure and orientation of 7–20-nm thick films. The effect of the annealing process on the BTO structure is discussed. A clean STO/Si interface is found using in-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and confirmed by cross-sectional scanning transmission electron microscopy. The capacitance-voltage characteristics of 7–20 nm-thick BTO films are examined and show an effective dielectric constant of ∼660 for the heterostructure

Upconversion photoluminescence of epitaxial Yb{sup 3+}/Er{sup 3+} codoped ferroelectric Pb(Zr,Ti)O{sub 3} films on silicon substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Yang, E-mail: zhangy_acd@hotmail.com [IFW Dresden, P.O. Box 270116, D-01171 Dresden (Germany); Kämpfe, Thomas [Institut für Angewandte Physik, TU Dresden, 01062 Dresden (Germany); Bai, Gongxun [Department of Applied Physics, The Hong Kong Polytechnic University, Hong Kong (China); Mietschke, Michael; Yuan, Feifei; Zopf, Michael [IFW Dresden, P.O. Box 270116, D-01171 Dresden (Germany); Abel, Stefan [IBM Research GmbH, Saümerstrasse 4, 8803 Rüschlikon (Switzerland); Eng, Lukas M. [Institut für Angewandte Physik, TU Dresden, 01062 Dresden (Germany); Hühne, Ruben [IFW Dresden, P.O. Box 270116, D-01171 Dresden (Germany); Fompeyrine, Jean [IBM Research GmbH, Saümerstrasse 4, 8803 Rüschlikon (Switzerland); Ding, Fei, E-mail: f.ding@ifw-dresden.de [IFW Dresden, P.O. Box 270116, D-01171 Dresden (Germany); Schmidt, Oliver G. [IFW Dresden, P.O. Box 270116, D-01171 Dresden (Germany); Material Systems for Nanoelectronics, Chemnitz University of Technology, Reichenhainer strasse 70, 09107 Chemnitz (Germany)

2016-05-31

Thin films of Yb{sup 3+}/Er{sup 3+} codoped Pb(Zr,Ti)O{sub 3} (PZT:Yb/Er) have been epitaxially grown on the SrTiO{sub 3} buffered Si wafer by pulsed laser deposition. Strong upconversion photoluminescence was observed in the PZT:Yb/Er thin film. Using piezoresponse force microscopy, polar domains in the PZT:Yb/Er film can be reversibly switched with a phase change of 180°. Ferroelectric hysteresis loop shape with a well-saturated response was observed. The epitaxially grown lanthanide-doped PZT on silicon opens up a promising route to the integration of luminescent functional oxides on the silicon platform. - Highlights: • Epitaxial growth of Yb{sup 3+}/Er{sup 3+} codoped Pb(Zr,Ti)O{sub 3} films on SrTiO{sub 3} buffered silicon • Upconversion emissions were obtained from the lanthanide ion doped thin films. • Saturated ferroelectric hysteresis loops were observed. • Polar domains were switched by PFM with a phase change of 180°.

Growth of KNN thin films for non-linear optical applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, Shweta; Gupta, Reema; Gupta, Vinay; Tomar, Monika

2018-01-01

Two-wave mixing is a remarkable area of research in the field of non-linear optics, finding various applications in the development of opto-electronic devices, photorefractive waveguides, real time holography, etc. Non-linear optical properties of ferroelectric potassium sodium niobate (KNN) thin films have been interrogated using two-wave mixing phenomenon. Regarding this, a-axis oriented K 0.35 Na (1-0.35) NbO 3 thin films were successfully grown on epitaxial matched (100) SrTiO 3 substrate using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. The uniformly distributed Au micro-discs of 200 μm diameter were integrated with KNN/STO thin film to study the plasmonic enhancement in the optical response. Beam amplification has been observed as a result of the two-wave mixing. This is due to the alignment of ferroelectric domains in KNN films and the excitement of plasmons at the metal-dielectric (Au-KNN) interface. (copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Growth of KNN thin films for non-linear optical applications

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sharma, Shweta; Gupta, Reema; Gupta, Vinay [Department of Physics and Astrophysics, University of Delhi (India); Tomar, Monika [Department of Physics, Miranda House University of Delhi (India)

2018-02-15

Two-wave mixing is a remarkable area of research in the field of non-linear optics, finding various applications in the development of opto-electronic devices, photorefractive waveguides, real time holography, etc. Non-linear optical properties of ferroelectric potassium sodium niobate (KNN) thin films have been interrogated using two-wave mixing phenomenon. Regarding this, a-axis oriented K{sub 0.35}Na{sub (1-0.35)}NbO{sub 3} thin films were successfully grown on epitaxial matched (100) SrTiO{sub 3} substrate using pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique. The uniformly distributed Au micro-discs of 200 μm diameter were integrated with KNN/STO thin film to study the plasmonic enhancement in the optical response. Beam amplification has been observed as a result of the two-wave mixing. This is due to the alignment of ferroelectric domains in KNN films and the excitement of plasmons at the metal-dielectric (Au-KNN) interface. (copyright 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Photon confinement in high-efficiency, thin-film III-V solar cells obtained by epitaxial lift-off

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schermer, J.J.; Bauhuis, G.J.; Mulder, P.; Haverkamp, E.J.; Deelen, J. van; Niftrik, A.T.J. van; Larsen, P.K.

2006-01-01

Using the epitaxial lift-off (ELO) technique, a III-V device structure can be separated from its GaAs substrate by selective wet etching of a thin release layer. The thin-film structures obtained by the ELO process can be cemented or van der Waals bonded on arbitrary smooth surface carriers for further processing. It is shown that the ELO method, initially able to separate millimetre-sized GaAs layers with a lateral etch rate of about 1 mm/h, has been developed to a process capable to free the entire 2-in. epitaxial structures from their substrates with etch rates up to 30 mm/h. With these characteristics the method has a large potential for the production of high efficiency thin-film solar cells. By choosing the right deposition and ELO strategy, the thin-film III-V cells can be adequately processed on both sides allowing for an entire range of new cell structures. In the present work, the performance of semi-transparent bifacial solar cells, produced by the deposition of metal grid contacts on both sides, was evaluated. Reflection of light at the rear side of the bifacial GaAs solar cells was found to result in an enhanced collection probability of the photon-induced carriers compared to that of regular III-V cells on a GaAs substrate. To enhance this effect, thin-film GaAs cells with gold mirror back contacts were prepared. Even in their present premature stage of development, these single-junction thin-film cells reached a record efficiency of 24.5% which is already very close to the 24.9% efficiency that was obtained with a regular GaAs cell on a GaAs substrate. From this it could be concluded that, as a result of the photon confinement, ELO cells require a significantly thinner base layer than regular GaAs cells while at the same time they have the potential to reach a higher efficiency

Preparation and structural characterization of FeCo epitaxial thin films on insulating single-crystal substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishiyama, Tsutomu; Ohtake, Mitsuru; Futamoto, Masaaki; Kirino, Fumiyoshi

2010-01-01

FeCo epitaxial films were prepared on MgO(111), SrTiO 3 (111), and Al 2 O 3 (0001) single-crystal substrates by ultrahigh vacuum molecular beam epitaxy. The effects of insulating substrate material on the film growth process and the structures were investigated. FeCo(110) bcc films grow on MgO substrates with two type domains, Nishiyama-Wassermann (NW) and Kurdjumov-Sachs (KS) relationships. On the contrary, FeCo films grown on SrTiO 3 and Al 2 O 3 substrates include FeCo(111) bcc crystal in addition to the FeCo(110) bcc crystals with NW and KS relationships. The FeCo(111) bcc crystal consists of two type domains whose orientations are rotated around the film normal by 180 deg. each other. The out-of-plane and the in-plane lattice spacings of FeCo(110) bcc and FeCo(111) bcc crystals formed on the insulating substrates are in agreement with those of the bulk Fe 50 Co 50 (at. %) crystal with small errors ranging between +0.2% and +0.4%, showing that the strains in the epitaxial films are very small.

Anisotropic strain relaxation in (Ba0.6Sr0.4)TiO3 epitaxial thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Simon, W. K.; Akdogan, E. K.; Safari, A.

2005-05-01

We have studied the evolution of anisotropic epitaxial strains in ⟨110⟩-oriented (Ba0.60Sr0.40)TiO3 paraelectric (m3m) thin films grown on orthorhombic (mm2) ⟨100⟩-oriented NdGaO3 by high-resolution x-ray diffractometry. All the six independent components of the three-dimensional strain tensor were measured in films with 25-1200-nm thickness, from which the principal stresses and strains were obtained. Pole figure analysis indicated that the epitaxial relations are [001]m3m‖[001]mm2 and [1¯10]m3m‖[010]mm2 in the plane of the film, and [110]m3m‖[100]mm2 along the growth direction. The dislocation system responsible for strain relief along [001] has been determined to be ∣b ∣(001)=3/4∣b∣. Strain relief along the [1¯10] direction, on the other hand, has been determined to be due to a coupled mechanism given by ∣b∣(1¯10)=∣b∣ and ∣b∣(1¯10)=√3 /4∣b∣. Critical thicknesses, as determined from nonlinear regression using the Matthews-Blakeslee equation, for misfit dislocation formation along [001] and [1¯10] direction were found to be 5 and 7 nm, respectively. The residual strain energy density was calculated as ˜2.9×106J/m3 at 25 nm, which was found to relax an order of magnitude by 200 nm. At 200 nm, the linear dislocation density along [001] and [1¯10] are ˜6.5×105 and ˜6×105cm-1, respectively. For films thicker than 600 nm, additional strain relief occurred through surface undulations, indicating that this secondary strain-relief mechanism is a volume effect that sets in upon cooling from the growth temperature.

Epitaxial Fe3Si/Ge/Fe3Si thin film multilayers grown on GaAs(001)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jenichen, B.; Herfort, J.; Jahn, U.; Trampert, A.; Riechert, H.

2014-01-01

We demonstrate Fe 3 Si/Ge/Fe 3 Si/GaAs(001) structures grown by molecular-beam epitaxy and characterized by transmission electron microscopy, electron backscattered diffraction, and X-ray diffraction. The bottom Fe 3 Si epitaxial film on GaAs is always single crystalline. The structural properties of the Ge film and the top Fe 3 Si layer depend on the substrate temperature during Ge deposition. Different orientation distributions of the grains in the Ge and the upper Fe 3 Si film were found. The low substrate temperature T s of 150 °C during Ge deposition ensures sharp interfaces, however, results in predominantly amorphous films. We find that the intermediate T s (225 °C) leads to a largely [111] oriented upper Fe 3 Si layer and polycrystal films. The high T s of 325 °C stabilizes the [001] oriented epitaxial layer structure, i.e., delivers smooth interfaces and single crystal films over as much as 80% of the surface area. - Highlights: • Fe 3 Si/Ge/Fe 3 Si/GaAs(001) structures are grown by MBE. • The bottom Fe 3 Si film is always single crystalline. • The properties of the Ge film depend on the substrate temperature during deposition. • Optimum growth conditions lead to almost perfect epitaxy of Ge on Fe 3 Si

Subtractive fabrication of ferroelectric thin films with precisely controlled thickness

Science.gov (United States)

Ievlev, Anton V.; Chyasnavichyus, Marius; Leonard, Donovan N.; Agar, Joshua C.; Velarde, Gabriel A.; Martin, Lane W.; Kalinin, Sergei V.; Maksymovych, Petro; Ovchinnikova, Olga S.

2018-04-01

The ability to control thin-film growth has led to advances in our understanding of fundamental physics as well as to the emergence of novel technologies. However, common thin-film growth techniques introduce a number of limitations related to the concentration of defects on film interfaces and surfaces that limit the scope of systems that can be produced and studied experimentally. Here, we developed an ion-beam based subtractive fabrication process that enables creation and modification of thin films with pre-defined thicknesses. To accomplish this we transformed a multimodal imaging platform that combines time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry with atomic force microscopy to a unique fabrication tool that allows for precise sputtering of the nanometer-thin layers of material. To demonstrate fabrication of thin-films with in situ feedback and control on film thickness and functionality we systematically studied thickness dependence of ferroelectric switching of lead-zirconate-titanate, within a single epitaxial film. Our results demonstrate that through a subtractive film fabrication process we can control the piezoelectric response as a function of film thickness as well as improve on the overall piezoelectric response versus an untreated film.

Hydride vapor phase epitaxy growth of GaN, InGaN, ScN, and ScAIN

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Bohnen, T.

2010-01-01

Chemical vapor deposition (CVD); hydride vapor phase epitaxy (HVPE); gallium nitride (GaN); indium gallium nitride (InGaN); scandium nitride (ScN); scandium aluminum nitride (ScAlN); semiconductors; thin films; nanowires; III nitrides; crystal growth - We studied the HVPE growth of different III

Advanced fabrication method for the preparation of MOF thin films: Liquid-phase epitaxy approach meets spin coating method.

KAUST Repository

Chernikova, Valeriya; Shekhah, Osama; Eddaoudi, Mohamed

2016-01-01

Here we report a new and advanced method for the fabrication of highly oriented/polycrystalline metal-organic framework (MOF) thin films. Building on the attractive features of the liquid-phase epitaxy (LPE) approach, a facile spin coating method

Growth of metastable fcc Mn thin film on GaAs(001) and its electronic structure studied by photoemission with synchrotron radiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Yan; Dong Guosheng; Zhang Ming

1995-01-01

The epitaxial growth of metastable fcc Mn thin films on GaAs(001) surface has been achieved at a substrate temperature of 400 K. The development of the fcc Mn thin films as a function of coverage is studied by photoemission with synchrotron radiation. The electron density of states below the Fermi edge of the fcc Mn phase is measured. A significant difference of the electronic structures is observed between the metastable fcc Mn phase and the thermodynamically stable α-Mn phase. Possible mechanisms are proposed to interpret the experimental result

van der Waals epitaxy of SnS film on single crystal graphene buffer layer on amorphous SiO2/Si

Science.gov (United States)

Xiang, Yu; Yang, Yunbo; Guo, Fawen; Sun, Xin; Lu, Zonghuan; Mohanty, Dibyajyoti; Bhat, Ishwara; Washington, Morris; Lu, Toh-Ming; Wang, Gwo-Ching

2018-03-01

Conventional hetero-epitaxial films are typically grown on lattice and symmetry matched single crystal substrates. We demonstrated the epitaxial growth of orthorhombic SnS film (∼500 nm thick) on single crystal, monolayer graphene that was transferred on the amorphous SiO2/Si substrate. Using X-ray pole figure analysis we examined the structure, quality and epitaxy relationship of the SnS film grown on the single crystal graphene and compared it with the SnS film grown on commercial polycrystalline graphene. We showed that the SnS films grown on both single crystal and polycrystalline graphene have two sets of orientation domains. However, the crystallinity and grain size of the SnS film improve when grown on the single crystal graphene. Reflection high-energy electron diffraction measurements show that the near surface texture has more phases as compared with that of the entire film. The surface texture of a film will influence the growth and quality of film grown on top of it as well as the interface formed. Our result offers an alternative approach to grow a hetero-epitaxial film on an amorphous substrate through a single crystal graphene buffer layer. This strategy of growing high quality epitaxial thin film has potential applications in optoelectronics.

BiFeO3 epitaxial thin films and devices: past, present and future

Science.gov (United States)

Sando, D.; Barthélémy, A.; Bibes, M.

2014-11-01

The celebrated renaissance of the multiferroics family over the past ten years has also been that of its most paradigmatic member, bismuth ferrite (BiFeO3). Known since the 1960s to be a high temperature antiferromagnet and since the 1970s to be ferroelectric, BiFeO3 only had its bulk ferroic properties clarified in the mid-2000s. It is however the fabrication of BiFeO3 thin films and their integration into epitaxial oxide heterostructures that have fully revealed its extraordinarily broad palette of functionalities. Here we review the first decade of research on BiFeO3 films, restricting ourselves to epitaxial structures. We discuss how thickness and epitaxial strain influence not only the unit cell parameters, but also the crystal structure, illustrated for instance by the discovery of the so-called T-like phase of BiFeO3. We then present its ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties and their evolution near morphotropic phase boundaries. Magnetic properties and their modification by thickness and strain effects, as well as optical parameters, are covered. Finally, we highlight various types of devices based on BiFeO3 in electronics, spintronics, and optics, and provide perspectives for the development of further multifunctional devices for information technology and energy harvesting.

Preferential orientation relationships in Ca2MnO4 Ruddlesden-Popper thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lacotte, M.; David, A.; Prellier, W.; Rohrer, G. S.; Salvador, P. A.

2015-01-01

A high-throughput investigation of local epitaxy (called combinatorial substrate epitaxy) was carried out on Ca 2 MnO 4 Ruddlesden-Popper thin films of six thicknesses (from 20 to 400 nm), all deposited on isostructural polycrystalline Sr 2 TiO 4 substrates. Electron backscatter diffraction revealed grain-over-grain local epitaxial growth for all films, resulting in a single orientation relationship (OR) for each substrate-film grain pair. Two preferred epitaxial ORs accounted for more than 90% of all ORs on 300 different microcrystals, based on analyzing 50 grain pairs for each thickness. The unit cell over unit cell OR ([100][001] film ∥ [100][001] substrate , or OR1) accounted for approximately 30% of each film. The OR that accounted for 60% of each film ([100][001] film ∥ [100][010] substrate , or OR2) corresponds to a rotation from OR1 by 90° about the a-axis. OR2 is strongly favored for substrate orientations in the center of the stereographic triangle, and OR1 is observed for orientations very close to (001) or to those near the edge connecting (100) and (110). While OR1 should be lower in energy, the majority observation of OR2 implies kinetic hindrances decrease the frequency of OR1. Persistent grain over grain growth and the absence of variations of the OR frequencies with thickness implies that the growth competition is finished within the first few nm, and local epitaxy persists thereafter during growth

About some practical aspects of X-ray diffraction : From powder to thin film

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Valvoda, V [Charles Univ. Prague (Czech Republic). Faculty of Mathematics and Physics

1996-09-01

Structure of thin films can be amorphous, polycrystalline or epitaxial, and the films can be prepared as a single layer films, multilayers or as graded films. A complete structure analysis of thin films by means of X-ray diffraction (XRD) usually needs more than one diffraction geometry to be used. Their principles, advantages and disadvantages will be shortly described, especially with respect to their different sampling depth and different response to orientation of diffracting crystallographic planes. Main differences in structure of thin films with respect to powder samples are given by a singular direction of their growth, by their adhesion to a substrate and often also by a simultaneous bombardment by atomic species during the growth. It means that a thermodynamically unstable atomic structures can be found too. These special features of growth of thin polycrystalline films are reflected in often found strong preferred orientation of grains and in residual stresses conserved in the films. The methods of structure analysis of thin films by XRD will be compared with other techniques which can supply structure images on different scales.

Lattice distortion and strain relaxation in epitaxial thin films of multiferroic TbMnO{sub 3} probed by X-ray diffractometry and micro-Raman spectroscopy

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hu, Y.; Stender, D. [Paul Scherrer Institute, General Energy Research Department, 5232 Villigen-PSI (Switzerland); Medarde, M. [Paul Scherrer Institute, Laboratory for Developments and Methods, 5232 Villigen-PSI (Switzerland); Lippert, T., E-mail: thomas.lippert@psi.ch [Paul Scherrer Institute, General Energy Research Department, 5232 Villigen-PSI (Switzerland); Wokaun, A.; Schneider, C.W. [Paul Scherrer Institute, General Energy Research Department, 5232 Villigen-PSI (Switzerland)

2013-08-01

A detailed structural XRD analysis of (1 1 0)-oriented TbMnO{sub 3} thin films grown on (1 1 0)-YAlO{sub 3} substrates shows the co-existence of a strained and relaxed “sublayer” within the films due to strain relaxation during epitaxial growth by pulsed laser deposition. The substrate-film lattice mismatch yields a compressive strain anisotropy along the two in-plane directions, i.e. [1 −1 0] and [0 0 1] and a monoclinic distortion. A further manifestation of the growth-induced strain is the hardening of Raman active modes as a result of changed atomic motions along the [1 −1 0] and [0 0 1] directions.

Multiple oxide content media for columnar grain growth in L10 FePt thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ho, Hoan; Yang, En; Laughlin, David E.; Zhu, Jian-Gang

2013-01-01

An approach to enhance the height-to-diameter ratio of FePt grains in heat-assisted magnetic recording media is proposed. The FePt-SiO x thin films are deposited with a decrease of the SiO x percentage along the film growth direction. When bi-layer and tri-layer media are sputtered at 410 °C, we observe discontinuities in the FePt grains at interfaces between layers, which lead to poor epitaxial growth. Due to increased atomic diffusion, the bi-layer media sputtered at 450 °C is shown to (1) grow into continuous columnar grains with similar size as single-layer media but much higher aspect ratio, (2) have better L1 0 ordering and larger coercivity.

Growth and characterization of ultrathin epitaxial MnO film on Ag(001)

Science.gov (United States)

Kundu, Asish K.; Menon, Krishnakumar S. R.

2016-07-01

We present here a comprehensive growth procedure to obtain a well-ordered MnO(001) ultrathin film on Ag(001) substrate. Depending upon the oxygen partial pressure during the growth, different phases of manganese oxide have been detected by Low Energy Electron Diffraction (LEED) and X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopic (XPS) studies. A modified growth scheme has been adopted to get well-ordered and stoichiometric MnO(001) ultrathin film. The detailed growth mechanism of epitaxial MnO film on Ag(001) has been studied step by step, using LEED and XPS techniques. Observation of sharp (1 × 1) LEED pattern with a low inelastic background, corresponds to a long-range atomic order with low defect densities indicating the high structural quality of the film. The Mn 2p and Mn 3s core-level spectra confirm the oxidation state as well as the stoichiometry of the grown MnO films. Apart from the growth optimization, the evolution of strain relaxation of the MnO(001) film with film thickness has been explored.

Columnar grain growth of FePt(L10) thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang En; Ho Hoan; Laughlin, David E.; Zhu Jiangang

2012-01-01

An experimental approach for obtaining perpendicular FePt-SiOx thin films with a large height to diameter ratio FePt(L1 0 ) columnar grains is presented in this work. The microstructure for FePt-SiOx composite thin films as a function of oxide volume fraction, substrate temperature, and film thickness is studied by plan view and cross section TEM. The relations between processing, microstructure, epitaxial texture, and magnetic properties are discussed. By tuning the thickness of the magnetic layer and the volume fraction of oxide in the film at a sputtering temperature of 410 deg. C, a 16 nm thick perpendicular FePt film with ∼8 nm diameter of FePt grains was obtained. The height to diameter ratio of the FePt grains was as large as 2. Ordering at lower temperature can be achieved by introducing a Ag sacrificial layer.

Synthesis and electronic properties of Ruddlesden-Popper strontium iridate epitaxial thin films stabilized by control of growth kinetics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Liu, Xiaoran; Cao, Yanwei; Pal, B.; Middey, S.; Kareev, M.; Choi, Y.; Shafer, P.; Haskel, D.; Arenholz, E.; Chakhalian, J.

2017-12-01

We report on the selective fabrication of high-quality Sr2IrO4 and SrIrO3 epitaxial thin films from a single polycrystalline Sr2IrO4 target by pulsed laser deposition. Using a combination of x-ray diffraction and photoemission spectroscopy characterizations, we discover that within a relatively narrow range of substrate temperature, the oxygen partial pressure plays a critical role in the cation stoichiometric ratio of the films, and triggers the stabilization of different Ruddlesden-Popper (RP) phases. Resonant x-ray absorption spectroscopy measurements taken at the Ir L edge and the O K edge demonstrate the presence of strong spin-orbit coupling, and reveal the electronic and orbital structures of both compounds. These results suggest that in addition to the conventional thermodynamics consideration, higher members of the Srn+1IrnO3n+1 series can possibly be achieved by kinetic control away from the thermodynamic limit. These findings offer an approach to the synthesis of ultrathin films of the RP series of iridates and can be extended to other complex oxides with layered structure.

Thin-film growth and the shadow instability

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Karunasiri, R.P.U.; Bruinsma, R.; Rudnick, J.

1989-01-01

We propose a growth model for deposition of thin amorphous films by the sputtering technique. For small values of the diffusion constant, the film develops a self-similar mountain landscape. As the diffusion constant is increased a regime is reached where growth of compact flat films is possible up to a critical height. Further deposition leads to surface roughening

Fabrication of high-quality single-crystal Cu thin films using radio-frequency sputtering.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Seunghun; Kim, Ji Young; Lee, Tae-Woo; Kim, Won-Kyung; Kim, Bum-Su; Park, Ji Hun; Bae, Jong-Seong; Cho, Yong Chan; Kim, Jungdae; Oh, Min-Wook; Hwang, Cheol Seong; Jeong, Se-Young

2014-08-29

Copper (Cu) thin films have been widely used as electrodes and interconnection wires in integrated electronic circuits, and more recently as substrates for the synthesis of graphene. However, the ultra-high vacuum processes required for high-quality Cu film fabrication, such as molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), restricts mass production with low cost. In this work, we demonstrated high-quality Cu thin films using a single-crystal Cu target and radio-frequency (RF) sputtering technique; the resulting film quality was comparable to that produced using MBE, even under unfavorable conditions for pure Cu film growth. The Cu thin film was epitaxially grown on an Al2O3 (sapphire) (0001) substrate, and had high crystalline orientation along the (111) direction. Despite the 10(-3) Pa vacuum conditions, the resulting thin film was oxygen free due to the high chemical stability of the sputtered specimen from a single-crystal target; moreover, the deposited film had >5× higher adhesion force than that produced using a polycrystalline target. This fabrication method enabled Cu films to be obtained using a simple, manufacturing-friendly process on a large-area substrate, making our findings relevant for industrial applications.

Epitaxial growth of a methoxy-functionalized quaterphenylene on alkali halide surfaces

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Balzer, F., E-mail: fbalzer@mci.sdu.dk [University of Southern Denmark, Mads Clausen Institute, Alsion 2, DK-6400 Sønderborg (Denmark); Sun, R. [University of Southern Denmark, Mads Clausen Institute, Alsion 2, DK-6400 Sønderborg (Denmark); Parisi, J. [University of Oldenburg, Energy and Semiconductor Research Laboratory, Institute of Physics, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Str. 9-11, D-26111 Oldenburg (Germany); Rubahn, H.-G. [University of Southern Denmark, Mads Clausen Institute, Alsion 2, DK-6400 Sønderborg (Denmark); Lützen, A. [University of Bonn, Kekulé Institute of Organic Chemistry and Biochemistry, Gerhard-Domagk-Str. 1, D-53121 Bonn (Germany); Schiek, M. [University of Oldenburg, Energy and Semiconductor Research Laboratory, Institute of Physics, Carl-von-Ossietzky-Str. 9-11, D-26111 Oldenburg (Germany)

2015-12-31

The epitaxial growth of the methoxy functionalized para-quaterphenylene (MOP4) on the (001) faces of the alkali halides NaCl and KCl and on glass is investigated by a combination of low energy electron diffraction (LEED), polarized light microscopy (PLM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Both domains from upright molecules as well as fiber-like crystallites from lying molecules form. Neither a wetting layer from lying molecules nor widespread epitaxial fiber growth on the substrates is detected. Our results focus on the upright standing molecules, which condense into a thin film phase with an enlarged layer spacing compared to the bulk phase. - Highlights: • Growth of a methoxy-functionalized para-phenylene on dielectric surfaces is investigated. • Low-energy electron diffraction and X-ray diffraction techniques are employed for structural characterization. • Epitaxial growth of upright molecules only is documented. • Polarized optical microscopy together with atomic force microscopy complements the findings.

Epitaxial growth of a methoxy-functionalized quaterphenylene on alkali halide surfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balzer, F.; Sun, R.; Parisi, J.; Rubahn, H.-G.; Lützen, A.; Schiek, M.

2015-01-01

The epitaxial growth of the methoxy functionalized para-quaterphenylene (MOP4) on the (001) faces of the alkali halides NaCl and KCl and on glass is investigated by a combination of low energy electron diffraction (LEED), polarized light microscopy (PLM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and X-ray diffraction (XRD). Both domains from upright molecules as well as fiber-like crystallites from lying molecules form. Neither a wetting layer from lying molecules nor widespread epitaxial fiber growth on the substrates is detected. Our results focus on the upright standing molecules, which condense into a thin film phase with an enlarged layer spacing compared to the bulk phase. - Highlights: • Growth of a methoxy-functionalized para-phenylene on dielectric surfaces is investigated. • Low-energy electron diffraction and X-ray diffraction techniques are employed for structural characterization. • Epitaxial growth of upright molecules only is documented. • Polarized optical microscopy together with atomic force microscopy complements the findings.

Crystallinity Improvement of Zn O Thin Film on Different Buffer Layers Grown by MBE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shao-Ying, T.; Che-Hao, L.; Wen-Ming, Ch.; Yang, C.C.; Po-Ju, Ch.; Hsiang-Chen, W.; Ya-Ping, H.

2012-01-01

The material and optical properties of Zn O thin film samples grown on different buffer layers on sapphire substrates through a two-step temperature variation growth by molecular beam epitaxy were investigated. The thin buffer layer between the Zn O layer and the sapphire substrate decreased the lattice mismatch to achieve higher quality Zn O thin film growth. A Ga N buffer layer slightly increased the quality of the Zn O thin film, but the threading dislocations still stretched along the c-axis of the Ga N layer. The use of Mg O as the buffer layer decreased the surface roughness of the Zn O thin film by 58.8% due to the suppression of surface cracks through strain transfer of the sample. From deep level emission and rocking curve measurements it was found that the threading dislocations play a more important role than oxygen vacancies for high-quality Zn O thin film growth.

Crystallinity Improvement of ZnO Thin Film on Different Buffer Layers Grown by MBE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shao-Ying Ting

2012-01-01

Full Text Available The material and optical properties of ZnO thin film samples grown on different buffer layers on sapphire substrates through a two-step temperature variation growth by molecular beam epitaxy were investigated. The thin buffer layer between the ZnO layer and the sapphire substrate decreased the lattice mismatch to achieve higher quality ZnO thin film growth. A GaN buffer layer slightly increased the quality of the ZnO thin film, but the threading dislocations still stretched along the c-axis of the GaN layer. The use of MgO as the buffer layer decreased the surface roughness of the ZnO thin film by 58.8% due to the suppression of surface cracks through strain transfer of the sample. From deep level emission and rocking curve measurements it was found that the threading dislocations play a more important role than oxygen vacancies for high-quality ZnO thin film growth.

Tuning of Transport and Magnetic Properties in Epitaxial LaMnO3+δ Thin Films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Chen

2014-01-01

Full Text Available The effect of compressive strain on the transport and magnetic properties of epitaxial LaMnO3+δ thin films has been investigated. It is found that the transport and magnetic properties of the LaMnO3+δ thin films grown on the LaAlO3 substrates can be tuned by the compressive strain through varying film thickness. And the insulator-metal transition, charge/orbital ordering transition, and paramagnetic-ferromagnetic transition are suppressed by the compressive strain. Consequently, the related electronic and magnetic transition temperatures decrease with an increase in the compressive strain. The present results can be explained by the strain-controlled lattice deformation and the consequent orbital occupation. It indicates that the lattice degree of freedom is crucial for understanding the transport and magnetic properties of the strongly correlated LaMnO3+δ.

Growth of Highly Epitaxial YBa2Cu3O7-δ Films from a Simple Propionate-Based Solution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Yue, Zhao; Torres, Pol; Tang, Xiao

2015-01-01

Intensive investigations have been conducted to develop epitaxial oxide thin films with superior electromagnetic performance by low-cost chemical solution deposition routes. In this paper, a novel propionate-based precursor solution without involving any other additive was proposed and employed...... to grow superconducting YBa2Cu3O7-δ (YBCO) films on LaAlO3 (LAO) single crystals. The precursor solutions are stable with a long shelf life of up to several months. Since the primary compositions are propionates after evaporating the solvent, the toxic reagents and evolved gases during solution synthesis...... and heat treatment can be eliminated completely. In this process, rapid pyrolysis and high conversation rate can also be achieved during growth of YBCO films in comparison with the conventional trifluoroacetate metal organic deposition routes. Remarkably, a 210 nm YBCO film exhibits high superconducting...

Hetero-epitaxial growth of TiC films on MgO(001) at 100 °C by DC reactive magnetron sputtering

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Braic, M.; Zoita, N.C.; Danila, M.; Grigorescu, C.E.A.; Logofatu, C.

2015-01-01

Hetero-epitaxial TiC thin films were deposited at 100 °C on MgO(001) by DC reactive magnetron sputtering in a mixture of Ar and CH 4 . The 62 nm thick films were analyzed for elemental composition and chemical bonding by Auger electron spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and micro-Raman spectroscopy. The crystallographic structure investigation by high resolution X-ray diffraction revealed that the films consist of two layers: an interface partially strained epilayer with high crystalline quality, and a relaxed layer, formed by columnar grains, maintaining the epitaxial relationship with the substrate. The films presented smooth surfaces (RMS roughness ~ 0.55 nm), with circular equi-sized grains/crystallites, as observed by atomic force microscopy. The Hall measurements in Van der Pauw geometry revealed relatively high resistivity value ~ 620 μΩ cm, ascribed to electron scattering on interfaces, on grain boundaries and on different defects/dislocations. - Highlights: • Hetero-epitaxial TiC 0.84 thin films were grown on MgO(001) at 100 °C by magnetron sputtering. • 62 nm thick films were synthesized by magnetron sputtering, using Ti, Ar and CH 4 . • The film comprises a partially strained interface epilayer and a relaxed top layer. • Both layers preserve the epitaxial relationship with the substrate. • Low RMS surface roughness ~ 0.55 nm and grains with mean lateral size of ~ 38.5 nm were observed

Hetero-epitaxial growth of TiC films on MgO(001) at 100 °C by DC reactive magnetron sputtering

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Braic, M. [National Institute for Optoelectronics, 409 Atomistilor St., 077125 Magurele (Romania); Zoita, N.C., E-mail: cnzoita@inoe.ro [National Institute for Optoelectronics, 409 Atomistilor St., 077125 Magurele (Romania); Danila, M. [National Institute for Research and Development in Microtechnology, 126A Erou Iancu Nicolae Blvd., 077190 Bucharest (Romania); Grigorescu, C.E.A. [National Institute for Optoelectronics, 409 Atomistilor St., 077125 Magurele (Romania); Logofatu, C. [National Institute of Materials Physics, 105 bis Atomistilor St., 077125 Magurele (Romania)

2015-08-31

Hetero-epitaxial TiC thin films were deposited at 100 °C on MgO(001) by DC reactive magnetron sputtering in a mixture of Ar and CH{sub 4}. The 62 nm thick films were analyzed for elemental composition and chemical bonding by Auger electron spectroscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and micro-Raman spectroscopy. The crystallographic structure investigation by high resolution X-ray diffraction revealed that the films consist of two layers: an interface partially strained epilayer with high crystalline quality, and a relaxed layer, formed by columnar grains, maintaining the epitaxial relationship with the substrate. The films presented smooth surfaces (RMS roughness ~ 0.55 nm), with circular equi-sized grains/crystallites, as observed by atomic force microscopy. The Hall measurements in Van der Pauw geometry revealed relatively high resistivity value ~ 620 μΩ cm, ascribed to electron scattering on interfaces, on grain boundaries and on different defects/dislocations. - Highlights: • Hetero-epitaxial TiC{sub 0.84} thin films were grown on MgO(001) at 100 °C by magnetron sputtering. • 62 nm thick films were synthesized by magnetron sputtering, using Ti, Ar and CH{sub 4}. • The film comprises a partially strained interface epilayer and a relaxed top layer. • Both layers preserve the epitaxial relationship with the substrate. • Low RMS surface roughness ~ 0.55 nm and grains with mean lateral size of ~ 38.5 nm were observed.

Laser energy tuning of carrier effective mass and thermopower in epitaxial oxide thin films

KAUST Repository

Abutaha, Anas I.

2012-04-18

The effect of the laser fluence on high temperature thermoelectric properties of the La doped SrTiO3 (SLTO) thin films epitaxially grown on LaAlO3 〈100〉 substrates by pulsed laser deposition is clarified. It is shown that oxygen vacancies that influence the effective mass of carriers in SLTO films can be tuned by varying the laser energy. The highest power factor of 0.433 W K−1 m−1 has been achieved at 636 K for a filmdeposited using the highest laser fluence of 7 J cm−2 pulse−1.

Epitaxial Growth of Hard Ferrimagnetic Mn3Ge Film on Rhodium Buffer Layer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Atsushi Sugihara

2015-06-01

Full Text Available Mn\\(_3\\Ge has a tetragonal Heusler-like D0\\(_{22}\\ crystal structure, exhibiting a large uniaxial magnetic anisotropy and small saturation magnetization due to its ferrimagnetic spin structure; thus, it is a hard ferrimagnet. In this report, epitaxial growth of a Mn\\(_3\\Ge film on a Rh buffer layer was investigated for comparison with that of a film on a Cr buffer layer in terms of the lattice mismatch between Mn\\(_3\\Ge and the buffer layer. The film grown on Rh had much better crystalline quality than that grown on Cr, which can be attributed to the small lattice mismatch. Epitaxial films of Mn\\(_3\\Ge on Rh show somewhat small coercivity (\\(H_{\\rm c}\\ = 12.6 kOe and a large perpendicular magnetic anisotropy (\\(K_{\\rm u}\\ = 11.6 Merg/cm\\(^3\\, comparable to that of the film grown on Cr.

Epitaxial Oxide Thin Films Grown by Solid Source Metal-Organic Chemical Vapor Deposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Zihong

1995-01-01

The conventional liquid source metal-organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) technique is capable of producing large area, high quality, single crystal semiconductor films. However, the growth of complex oxide films by this method has been hampered by a lack of suitable source materials. While chemists have been actively searching for new source materials, the research work reported here has demonstrated the successful application of solid metal-organic sources (based on tetramethylheptanedionate) to the growth of high quality thin films of binary compound cerium dioxide (CeO_2), and two more complex materials, the ternary compound lithium niobate (LiNbO_3), with two cations, and the quaternary compound strontium barium niobate (SBN), with three cations. The growth of CeO_2 thin films on (1012)Al_2O_3 substrates has been used as a model to study the general growth behavior of oxides. Factors affecting deposition rate, surface morphology, out-of-plane mosaic structure, and film orientation have been carefully investigated. A kinetic model based on gas phase prereaction is proposed to account for the substrate temperature dependence of film orientation found in this system. Atomically smooth, single crystal quality cerium dioxide thin films have been obtained. Superconducting YBCO films sputtered on top of solid source MOCVD grown thin cerium dioxide buffer layers on sapphire have been shown to have physical properties as good as those of YBCO films grown on single crystal MgO substrates. The thin film growth of LiNbO_3 and Sr_{1-x}Ba _{x}Nb_2 O_6 (SBN) was more complex and challenging. Phase purity, transparency, in-plane orientation, and the ferroelectric polarity of LiNbO _3 films grown on sapphire substrates was investigated. The first optical quality, MOCVD grown LiNbO _3 films, having waveguiding losses of less than 2 dB/cm, were prepared. An important aspect of the SBN film growth studies involved finding a suitable single crystal substrate material. Mg

Structural analysis of LaVO3 thin films under epitaxial strain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

H. Meley

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Rare earth vanadate perovskites exhibit a phase diagram in which two different types of structural distortions coexist: the strongest, the rotation of the oxygen octahedra, comes from the small tolerance factor of the perovskite cell (t = 0.88 for LaVO3 and the smaller one comes from inter-site d-orbital interactions manifesting as a cooperative Jahn-Teller effect. Epitaxial strain acts on octahedral rotations and crystal field symmetry to alter this complex lattice-orbit coupling. In this study, LaVO3 thin film structures have been investigated by X-ray diffraction and scanning transmission electron microscopy. The analysis shows two different orientations of octahedral tilt patterns, as well as two distinct temperature behaviors, for compressive and tensile film strain states. Ab initio calculations capture the strain effect on the tilt pattern orientation in agreement with experimental data.

Thin film epitaxy and structure property correlations for non-polar ZnO films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pant, P.; Budai, J.D.; Aggarwal, R.; Narayan, Roger J.; Narayan, J.

2009-01-01

Heteroepitaxial growth and strain relaxation were investigated in non-polar a-plane (1 1 -2 0)ZnO films grown on r-plane (1 0 -1 2)sapphire substrates in the temperature range 200-700 deg. C by pulsed laser deposition. The lattice misfit in the plane of the film for this orientation varied from -1.26% in [0 0 0 1] to -18.52% in the [-1 1 0 0] direction. The alignment of (1 1 -2 0)ZnO planes parallel to (1 0 -1 2)sapphire planes was confirmed by X-ray diffraction θ-2θ scans over the entire temperature range. X-ray φ-scans revealed the epitaxial relationship:[0 0 0 1]ZnO-parallel [-1 1 0 1]sap; [-1 1 0 0]ZnO-parallel [-1 -1 2 0]sap. Depending on the growth temperature, variations in the structural, optical and electrical properties were observed in the grown films. Room temperature photoluminescence for films grown at 700 deg. C shows a strong band-edge emission. The ratio of the band-edge emission to green band emission is 135:1, indicating reduced defects and excellent optical quality of the films. The resistivity data for the films grown at 700 deg. C shows semiconducting behavior with room temperature resistivity of 2.2 x 10 -3 Ω-cm.

Persistent semi-metal-like nature of epitaxial perovskite CaIrO{sub 3} thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Biswas, Abhijit; Jeong, Yoon Hee, E-mail: yhj@postech.ac.kr [Department of Physics, POSTECH, Pohang 790-784 (Korea, Republic of)

2015-05-21

Strong spin-orbit coupled 5d transition metal based ABO{sub 3} oxides, especially iridates, allow tuning parameters in the phase diagram and may demonstrate important functionalities, for example, by means of strain effects and symmetry-breaking, because of the interplay between the Coulomb interactions and strong spin-orbit coupling. Here, we have epitaxially stabilized high quality thin films of perovskite (Pv) CaIrO{sub 3}. Film on the best lattice-matched substrate shows semi-metal-like characteristics. Intriguingly, imposing tensile or compressive strain on the film by altering the underlying lattice-mismatched substrates still maintains semi-metallicity with minute modification of the effective correlation as tensile (compressive) strain results in tiny increases (decreases) of the electronic bandwidth. In addition, magnetoresistance remains positive with a quadratic field dependence. This persistent semi-metal-like nature of Pv-CaIrO{sub 3} thin films with minute changes in the effective correlation by strain may provide new wisdom into strong spin-orbit coupled 5d based oxide physics.

Microstructure of Co(112-bar 0) epitaxial thin films, grown on MgO(100) single-crystal substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nukaga, Yuri; Ohtake, Mitsuru; Futamoto, Masaaki [Faculty of Science and Engineering, Chuo University, 1-13-27 Kasuga, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo 112-8551 (Japan); Kirino, Fumiyoshi, E-mail: nukaga@futamoto.elect.chuo-u.ac.j [Graduate School of Fine Arts, Tokyo National University of Fine Arts and Music, 12-8 Ueno-koen, Taito-ku, Tokyo 110-8714 (Japan)

2010-01-01

Co(112-bar 0) epitaxial thin films with hcp structure were prepared on MgO(100) single-crystal substrates heated at 300 {sup 0}C by ultra high vacuum molecular beam epitaxy. The microstructure is investigated by employing X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The film consists of two types of domains whose c-axes are rotated around the film normal by 90{sup 0} each other. Stacking faults are observed for the film along the Co[0001] direction. An atomically sharp boundary is recognized between the film and the substrate, where some misfit dislocations are introduced in the film at the Co/MgO interface. Dislocations are also observed in the film up to 15 nm thickness from the interface. Presence of such stacking faults and misfit dislocations seem to relieve the strain caused by the lattice mismatch between the film and the substrate. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that the out-of-plane and the in-plane lattice spacings of the film are in agreement within 0.5% and 0.1%, respectively, with those of the bulk hcp-Co crystal, suggesting the strain in the film is very small.

Microstructure of Co(112-bar 0) epitaxial thin films, grown on MgO(100) single-crystal substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nukaga, Yuri; Ohtake, Mitsuru; Futamoto, Masaaki; Kirino, Fumiyoshi

2010-01-01

Co(112-bar 0) epitaxial thin films with hcp structure were prepared on MgO(100) single-crystal substrates heated at 300 0 C by ultra high vacuum molecular beam epitaxy. The microstructure is investigated by employing X-ray diffraction and high-resolution transmission electron microscopy. The film consists of two types of domains whose c-axes are rotated around the film normal by 90 0 each other. Stacking faults are observed for the film along the Co[0001] direction. An atomically sharp boundary is recognized between the film and the substrate, where some misfit dislocations are introduced in the film at the Co/MgO interface. Dislocations are also observed in the film up to 15 nm thickness from the interface. Presence of such stacking faults and misfit dislocations seem to relieve the strain caused by the lattice mismatch between the film and the substrate. X-ray diffraction analysis indicates that the out-of-plane and the in-plane lattice spacings of the film are in agreement within 0.5% and 0.1%, respectively, with those of the bulk hcp-Co crystal, suggesting the strain in the film is very small.

Epitaxial growth of Fe-based superconductor thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Meyer, Sven; Haenisch, Jens; Holzapfel, Bernhard [Institut fuer Technische Physik, Karlsruher Institut fuer Technologie, Hermann-von-Helmholtz-Platz 1, 76344 Eggenstein-Leopoldshafen (Germany)

2016-07-01

The Fe-based superconductors (FBS), discovered in 2008, are not only interesting for possible applications due to their large upper critical fields and low anisotropies, but also for basic understanding of unconventional superconductivity. With their properties, they constitute a link between the classic low-T{sub c} superconductors (low anisotropies, low thermal fluctuations, s-wave type symmetry) and the oxocuprates (T{sub c} up to 55 K, large H{sub c2}, unconventional pairing). Their multi-band nature reminds of MgB{sub 2}. We prepare thin films of FBS in the so called 122 family, namely Co- and P-doped BaFe{sub 2}As{sub 2} to investigate application relevant properties, such as critical current density J{sub c}, by pulsed laser deposition using a frequency-tripled Nd:YAG laser (λ = 355 nm). Microstructure and chemical composition will be investigated by XRD, AFM and SEM, and electrical transport using a 14 T PPMS. The results are compared to literature data on films grown at different wavelengths.

Characterization of reclaimed GaAs substrates and investigation of reuse for thin film InGaAlP LED epitaxial growth

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Englhard, M.; Klemp, C.; Behringer, M.; Rudolph, A. [OSRAM Opto Semiconductors GmbH, Leibnizstr. 4, 93055 Regensburg (Germany); Skibitzki, O.; Zaumseil, P. [IHP, Im Technologiepark 25, 15236 Frankfurt (Oder) (Germany); Schroeder, T. [IHP, Im Technologiepark 25, 15236 Frankfurt (Oder) (Germany); Institute of Physics and Chemistry, BTU Cottbus-Senftenberg, Konrad-Zuse-Str. 1, 03046 Cottbus (Germany)

2016-07-28

This study reports a method to reuse GaAs substrates with a batch process for thin film light emitting diode (TF-LED) production. The method is based on an epitaxial lift-off technique. With the developed reclaim process, it is possible to get an epi-ready GaAs surface without additional time-consuming and expensive grinding/polishing processes. The reclaim and regrowth process was investigated with a one layer epitaxial test structure. The GaAs surface was characterized by an atomic force microscope directly after the reclaim process. The crystal structure of the regrown In{sub 0.5}(Ga{sub 0.45}Al{sub 0.55}){sub 0.5}P (Q{sub 55}) layer was investigated by high resolution x-ray diffraction and scanning transmission electron microscopy. In addition, a complete TF-LED grown on reclaimed GaAs substrates was electro-optically characterized on wafer level. The crystal structure of the epitaxial layers and the performance of the TF-LED grown on reclaimed substrates are not influenced by the developed reclaim process. This process would result in reducing costs for LEDs and reducing much arsenic waste for the benefit of a green semiconductor production.

The epitaxial growth and interfacial strain study of VO{sub 2}/MgF{sub 2} (001) films by synchrotron based grazing incidence X-ray diffraction

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Fan, L.L. [Key Laboratory for Advanced Technology in Environmental Protection of Jiangsu Province, Yancheng Institute of Technology, Yancheng 224051 (China); National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230029 (China); Chen, S. [National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230029 (China); Liu, Q.H. [Science and Technology on Electro-optical Information Security Control Laboratory, Tianjin 300300 (China); Liao, G.M.; Chen, Y.L.; Ren, H. [National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230029 (China); Zou, C.W., E-mail: czou@ustc.edu.cn [National Synchrotron Radiation Laboratory, University of Science and Technology of China, Hefei 230029 (China)

2016-09-05

High quality VO{sub 2} films with different thickness were epitaxially grown on MgF{sub 2} (001) substrates by oxide molecular beam epitaxy method. The evolution of interfacial strain was investigated by synchrotron based grazing incidence X-ray diffraction. By adjusting the incidence angles, the penetration depth of X-ray in VO{sub 2} film could be controlled and the thickness-depend lattice distortion in the epitaxial VO{sub 2} film was investigated. Due to the lattice mismatching, the pronounced tensile strain was observed in ultra-thin VO{sub 2} film. As the film thickness increasing, the interfacial strain relaxed gradually and became fully relaxed for thick VO{sub 2} films. Combined with the electric transport measurement, it was revealed that the phase transition temperature of ultra-thin VO{sub 2} film decreased greatly. The effect of interfacial strain induced phase transition modulation and the intrinsic mechanism was systematically discussed. - Highlights: • We prepared high quality VO{sub 2} epitaxial films on MgF{sub 2} (001) substrates by oxide molecular beam epitaxy method. • Synchrotron radiation grazing incidence X-ray diffraction was employed to detect evolution of strain along depth profile. • Based on a classic band structure model, the mechanism of strain controlled phase transition of VO{sub 2} was discussed.

Epitaxial La2/3Sr1/3MnO3 thin films with unconventional magnetic and electric properties near the Curie temperature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Signorini, L.; Riva, M.; Cantoni, M.; Bertacco, R.; Ciccacci, F.

2006-01-01

We used Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) in oxidizing environment to epitaxially grow optimally doped manganite La 2/3 Sr 1/3 MnO 3 (LSMO) thin films over a (001) oriented SrTiO 3 substrate. Synthesized samples show good room temperature magnetic properties accompanied by a peculiar extension of the metallic conduction regime to temperatures higher than the Curie point. In this paper we present a study of the dependence of transport and magnetic properties of LSMO thin films on the oxygen pressure during PLD growth. We show how interaction of the growing films with O 2 molecules is fundamental for a correct synthesis and in which way it is possible to adjust PLD experimental parameters in order to tune LSMO thin film properties. The persistence of the metallic conduction regime above the Curie temperature indicates some minor changes of the electronic structure near the Fermi level, which is responsible for the half-metallic behavior of LSMO at low temperature. This feature is rather intriguing from the technological point of view, as it could pave the way to the increase of operating temperature of devices based on LSMO

Topotactic Metal-Insulator Transition in Epitaxial SrFeOx Thin Films.

Science.gov (United States)

Khare, Amit; Shin, Dongwon; Yoo, Tae Sup; Kim, Minu; Kang, Tae Dong; Lee, Jaekwang; Roh, Seulki; Jung, In-Ho; Hwang, Jungseek; Kim, Sung Wng; Noh, Tae Won; Ohta, Hiromichi; Choi, Woo Seok

2017-10-01

Topotactic phase transformation enables structural transition without losing the crystalline symmetry of the parental phase and provides an effective platform for elucidating the redox reaction and oxygen diffusion within transition metal oxides. In addition, it enables tuning of the emergent physical properties of complex oxides, through strong interaction between the lattice and electronic degrees of freedom. In this communication, the electronic structure evolution of SrFeO x epitaxial thin films is identified in real-time, during the progress of reversible topotactic phase transformation. Using real-time optical spectroscopy, the phase transition between the two structurally distinct phases (i.e., brownmillerite and perovskite) is quantitatively monitored, and a pressure-temperature phase diagram of the topotactic transformation is constructed for the first time. The transformation at relatively low temperatures is attributed to a markedly small difference in Gibbs free energy compared to the known similar class of materials to date. This study highlights the phase stability and reversibility of SrFeO x thin films, which is highly relevant for energy and environmental applications exploiting the redox reactions. © 2017 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Big-data reflection high energy electron diffraction analysis for understanding epitaxial film growth processes.

Science.gov (United States)

Vasudevan, Rama K; Tselev, Alexander; Baddorf, Arthur P; Kalinin, Sergei V

2014-10-28

Reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) has by now become a standard tool for in situ monitoring of film growth by pulsed laser deposition and molecular beam epitaxy. Yet despite the widespread adoption and wealth of information in RHEED images, most applications are limited to observing intensity oscillations of the specular spot, and much additional information on growth is discarded. With ease of data acquisition and increased computation speeds, statistical methods to rapidly mine the data set are now feasible. Here, we develop such an approach to the analysis of the fundamental growth processes through multivariate statistical analysis of a RHEED image sequence. This approach is illustrated for growth of La(x)Ca(1-x)MnO(3) films grown on etched (001) SrTiO(3) substrates, but is universal. The multivariate methods including principal component analysis and k-means clustering provide insight into the relevant behaviors, the timing and nature of a disordered to ordered growth change, and highlight statistically significant patterns. Fourier analysis yields the harmonic components of the signal and allows separation of the relevant components and baselines, isolating the asymmetric nature of the step density function and the transmission spots from the imperfect layer-by-layer (LBL) growth. These studies show the promise of big data approaches to obtaining more insight into film properties during and after epitaxial film growth. Furthermore, these studies open the pathway to use forward prediction methods to potentially allow significantly more control over growth process and hence final film quality.

Morphology and grain structure evolution during epitaxial growth of Ag films on native-oxide-covered Si surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hur, Tae-Bong; Kim, Hong Koo; Perello, David; Yun, Minhee; Kulovits, Andreas; Wiezorek, Joerg

2008-01-01

Epitaxial nanocrystalline Ag films were grown on initially native-oxide-covered Si(001) substrates using radio-frequency magnetron sputtering. Mechanisms of grain growth and morphology evolution were investigated. An epitaxially oriented Ag layer (∼5 nm thick) formed on the oxide-desorbed Si surface during the initial growth phase. After a period of growth instability, characterized as kinetic roughening, grain growth stagnation, and increase of step-edge density, a layer of nanocrystalline Ag grains with a uniform size distribution appeared on the quasi-two-dimensional layer. This hierarchical process of film formation is attributed to the dynamic interplay between incoming energetic Ag particles and native oxide. The cyclic interaction (desorption and migration) of the oxide with the growing Ag film is found to play a crucial role in the characteristic evolution of grain growth and morphology change involving an interval of grain growth stagnation

Tuning piezoelectric properties through epitaxy of La2Ti2O7 and related thin films.

Science.gov (United States)

Kaspar, Tiffany C; Hong, Seungbum; Bowden, Mark E; Varga, Tamas; Yan, Pengfei; Wang, Chongmin; Spurgeon, Steven R; Comes, Ryan B; Ramuhalli, Pradeep; Henager, Charles H

2018-02-14

Current piezoelectric sensors and actuators are limited to operating temperatures less than ~200 °C due to the low Curie temperature of the piezoelectric material. Strengthening the piezoelectric coupling of high-temperature piezoelectric materials, such as La 2 Ti 2 O 7 (LTO), would allow sensors to operate across a broad temperature range. The crystalline orientation and piezoelectric coupling direction of LTO thin films can be controlled by epitaxial matching to SrTiO 3 (001), SrTiO 3 (110), and rutile TiO 2 (110) substrates via pulsed laser deposition. The structure and phase purity of the films are investigated by x-ray diffraction and scanning transmission electron microscopy. Piezoresponse force microscopy is used to measure the in-plane and out-of-plane piezoelectric coupling in the films. The strength of the out-of-plane piezoelectric coupling can be increased when the piezoelectric direction is rotated partially out-of-plane via epitaxy. The strongest out-of-plane coupling is observed for LTO/STO(001). Deposition on TiO 2 (110) results in epitaxial La 2/3 TiO 3 , an orthorhombic perovskite of interest as a microwave dielectric material and an ion conductor. La 2/3 TiO 3 can be difficult to stabilize in bulk form, and epitaxial stabilization on TiO 2 (110) is a promising route to realize La 2/3 TiO 3 for both fundamental studies and device applications. Overall, these results confirm that control of the crystalline orientation of epitaxial LTO-based materials can govern the resulting functional properties.

Direct Measurements of Island Growth and Step-Edge Barriers in Colloidal Epitaxy

KAUST Repository

Ganapathy, R.

2010-01-21

Epitaxial growth, a bottom-up self-assembly process for creating surface nano- and microstructures, has been extensively studied in the context of atoms. This process, however, is also a promising route to self-assembly of nanometer- and micrometer-scale particles into microstructures that have numerous technological applications. To determine whether atomic epitaxial growth laws are applicable to the epitaxy of larger particles with attractive interactions, we investigated the nucleation and growth dynamics of colloidal crystal films with single-particle resolution. We show quantitatively that colloidal epitaxy obeys the same two-dimensional island nucleation and growth laws that govern atomic epitaxy. However, we found that in colloidal epitaxy, step-edge and corner barriers that are responsible for film morphology have a diffusive origin. This diffusive mechanism suggests new routes toward controlling film morphology during epitaxy.

Epitaxy physical principles and technical implementation

CERN Document Server

Herman, Marian A; Sitter, Helmut

2004-01-01

Epitaxy provides readers with a comprehensive treatment of the modern models and modifications of epitaxy, together with the relevant experimental and technological framework. This advanced textbook describes all important aspects of the epitaxial growth processes of solid films on crystalline substrates, including a section on heteroepitaxy. It covers and discusses in details the most important epitaxial growth techniques, which are currently widely used in basic research as well as in manufacturing processes of devices, namely solid-phase epitaxy, liquid-phase epitaxy, vapor-phase epitaxy, including metal-organic vapor-phase epitaxy and molecular-beam epitaxy. Epitaxy’s coverage of science and texhnology thin-film is intended to fill the need for a comprehensive reference and text examining the variety of problems related to the physical foundations and technical implementation of epitaxial crystallization. It is intended for undergraduate students, PhD students, research scientists, lecturers and practic...

Epitaxial c-axis oriented BaTiO{sub 3} thin films on SrTiO{sub 3}-buffered Si(001) by atomic layer deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ngo, Thong Q.; McDaniel, Martin D.; Ekerdt, John G., E-mail: ekerdt@che.utexas.edu [Department of Chemical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712 (United States); Posadas, Agham B.; Demkov, Alexander A. [Department of Physics, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712 (United States); Hu, Chengqing; Yu, Edward T. [Department of Electrical Engineering, The University of Texas at Austin, Austin, Texas 78712 (United States); Bruley, John [IBM Research Division, Yorktown Heights, New York 10593 (United States)

2014-02-24

Atomic layer deposition (ALD) of epitaxial c-axis oriented BaTiO{sub 3} (BTO) on Si(001) using a thin (1.6 nm) buffer layer of SrTiO{sub 3} (STO) grown by molecular beam epitaxy is reported. The ALD growth of crystalline BTO films at 225  °C used barium bis(triisopropylcyclopentadienyl), titanium tetraisopropoxide, and water as co-reactants. X-ray diffraction (XRD) reveals a high degree of crystallinity and c-axis orientation of as-deposited BTO films. Crystallinity is improved after vacuum annealing at 600  °C. Two-dimensional XRD confirms the tetragonal structure and orientation of 7–20-nm thick films. The effect of the annealing process on the BTO structure is discussed. A clean STO/Si interface is found using in-situ X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and confirmed by cross-sectional scanning transmission electron microscopy. The capacitance-voltage characteristics of 7–20 nm-thick BTO films are examined and show an effective dielectric constant of ∼660 for the heterostructure.

Fundamental Mechanisms of Roughening and Smoothing During Thin Film Deposition

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Headrick, Randall [Univ. of Vermont, Burlington, VT (United States)

2016-03-18

In this research program, we have explored the fundamental limits for thin film deposition in both crystalline and amorphous (i.e. non-crystalline) materials systems. For vacuum-based physical deposition processes such as sputter deposition, the background gas pressure of the inert gas (usually argon) used as the process gas has been found to be a key variable. Both a roughness transition and stress transition as a function of pressure have been linked to a common mechanism involving collisions of energetic particles from the deposition source with the process inert gas. As energetic particles collide with gas molecules in the deposition process they lose their energy rapidly if the pressure (and background gas density) is above a critical value. Both roughness and stress limit important properties of thin films for applications. In the area of epitaxial growth we have also discovered a related effect; there is a critical pressure below which highly crystalline layers grow in a layer-by-layer mode. This effect is also though to be due to energetic particle thermalization and scattering. Several other important effects such as the observation of coalescence dominated growth has been observed. This mode can be likened to the behavior of two-dimensional water droplets on the hood of a car during a rain storm; as the droplets grow and touch each other they tend to coalesce rapidly into new larger circular puddles, and this process proceeds exponentially as larger puddles overtake smaller ones and also merge with other large puddles. This discovery will enable more accurate simulations and modeling of epitaxial growth processes. We have also observed that epitaxial films undergo a roughening transition as a function of thickness, which is attributed to strain induced by the crystalline lattice mismatch with the substrate crystal. In addition, we have studied another physical deposition process called pulsed laser deposition. It differs from sputter deposition due to the

Thickness and growth-condition dependence of in-situ mobility and carrier density of epitaxial thin-film Bi2Se3

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hellerstedt, Jack; Fuhrer, Michael S.; Edmonds, Mark T.; Zheng, C. X.; Chen, J. H.; Cullen, William G.

2014-01-01

Bismuth selenide Bi 2 Se 3 was grown by molecular beam epitaxy, while carrier density and mobility were measured directly in situ as a function of film thickness. Carrier density shows high interface n-doping (1.5 × 10 13  cm −2 ) at the onset of film conduction and bulk dopant density of ∼5 × 10 11  cm −2 per quintuple-layer unit, roughly independent of growth temperature profile. Mobility depends more strongly on the growth temperature and is related to the crystalline quality of the samples quantified by ex-situ atomic force microscopy measurements. These results indicate that Bi 2 Se 3 as prepared by widely employed parameters is n-doped before exposure to atmosphere, the doping is largely interfacial in origin, and dopants are not the limiting disorder in present Bi 2 Se 3 films.

Ferroelectric and piezoelectric responses of (110) and (001)-oriented epitaxial Pb(Zr{sub 0.52}Ti{sub 0.48})O{sub 3} thin films on all-oxide layers buffered silicon

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vu, Hien Thu [International Training Institute for Materials Science (ITIMS), Hanoi University of Science and Technology, No.1 Dai Co Viet Road, Hanoi 10000 (Viet Nam); Nguyen, Minh Duc, E-mail: minh.nguyen@itims.edu.vn [International Training Institute for Materials Science (ITIMS), Hanoi University of Science and Technology, No.1 Dai Co Viet Road, Hanoi 10000 (Viet Nam); Inorganic Materials Science (IMS), MESA + Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede (Netherlands); SolMateS B.V., Drienerlolaan 5, Building 6, 7522 NB Enschede (Netherlands); Houwman, Evert; Boota, Muhammad [Inorganic Materials Science (IMS), MESA + Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede (Netherlands); Dekkers, Matthijn [SolMateS B.V., Drienerlolaan 5, Building 6, 7522 NB Enschede (Netherlands); Vu, Hung Ngoc [International Training Institute for Materials Science (ITIMS), Hanoi University of Science and Technology, No.1 Dai Co Viet Road, Hanoi 10000 (Viet Nam); Rijnders, Guus [Inorganic Materials Science (IMS), MESA + Institute for Nanotechnology, University of Twente, P.O. Box 217, 7500 AE Enschede (Netherlands)

2015-12-15

Graphical abstract: The cross sections show a very dense structure in the (001)-oriented films (c,d), while an open columnar growth structure is observed in the case of the (110)-oriented films (a,b). The (110)-oriented PZT films show a significantly larger longitudinal piezoelectric coefficient (d33{sub ,f}), but smaller transverse piezoelectric coefficient (d31{sub ,f}) than the (001) oriented films. - Highlights: • We fabricate all-oxide, epitaxial piezoelectric PZT thin films on Si. • The orientation of the films can be controlled by changing the buffer layer stack. • The coherence of the in-plane orientation of the grains and grain boundaries affects the ferroelectric properties. • Good cycling stability of the ferroelectric properties of (001)-oriented PZT thin films. The (110)-oriented PZT thin films show a larger d33{sub ,f} but smaller d31{sub ,f} than the (001)-oriented films. - Abstract: Epitaxial ferroelectric Pb(Zr{sub 0.52}Ti{sub 0.48})O{sub 3} (PZT) thin films were fabricated on silicon substrates using pulsed laser deposition. Depending on the buffer layers and perovskite oxide electrodes, epitaxial films with different orientations were grown. (110)-oriented PZT/SrRuO{sub 3} (and PZT/LaNiO{sub 3}) films were obtained on YSZ-buffered Si substrates, while (001)-oriented PZT/SrRuO{sub 3} (and PZT/LaNiO{sub 3}) were fabricated with an extra CeO{sub 2} buffer layer (CeO{sub 2}/YSZ/Si). There is no effect of the electrode material on the properties of the films. The initial remnant polarizations in the (001)-oriented films are higher than those of (110)-oriented films, but it increases to the value of the (001) films upon cycling. The longitudinal piezoelectric d33{sub ,f} coefficients of the (110) films are larger than those of the (001) films, whereas the transverse piezoelectric d31{sub ,f} coefficients in the (110)-films are less than those in the (001)-oriented films. The difference is ascribed to the lower density (connectivity between

Doping site dependent thermoelectric properties of epitaxial strontium titanate thin films

KAUST Repository

Abutaha, Anas I.; Sarath Kumar, S. R.; Mehdizadeh Dehkordi, Arash; Tritt, Terry M.; Alshareef, Husam N.

2014-01-01

We demonstrate that the thermoelectric properties of epitaxial strontium titanate (STO) thin films can be improved by additional B-site doping of A-site doped ABO3 type perovskite STO. The additional B-site doping of A-site doped STO results in increased electrical conductivity, but at the expense of Seebeck coefficient. However, doping on both sites of the STO lattice significantly reduces the lattice thermal conductivity of STO by adding more densely and strategically distributed phononic scattering centers that attack wider phonon spectra. The additional B-site doping limits the trade-off relationship between the electrical conductivity and total thermal conductivity of A-site doped STO, leading to an improvement in the room-temperature thermoelectric figure of merit, ZT. The 5% Pr3+ and 20% Nb5+ double-doped STO film exhibits the best ZT of 0.016 at room temperature. This journal is

Epitaxial growth of chalcopyrite CuInS2 films on GaAs (001) substrates by evaporation method with elemental sources

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nozomu, Tsuboi; Satoshi, Kobayash; Nozomu, Tsuboi; Takashi, Tamogami

2010-01-01

Full text : Ternary chalcopyrite semiconductor CuInS 2 is one of the potential candidates for absorber layers in high-efficiency thin film solar cells due to its direct bandgap Eg of 1.5 eV, which matches with solar spectrum. However, CuInS 2 solar cells face the problem of lower solar conversion efficiency compared with Cu(InGa)Se 2 solar cells. Investigation of fundamental properties of CuInS 2 films is necessary to understand key issues for solar cell performance. Although in bulk CuInS 2 is known to crystallize into chalcopyrite (CH) structure, in thin film other structures such as Cu-Au (CA) and sphalerite (SP) structures may coexist. It was reported epitaxial growth of slightly Cu-rich CuInS 2 films with c-axis orientated CA only and/or with a mixture of a- and c-axes orientated CH structures on GaP (001) at substrate temperature of 500 degrees using the conventional evaporation method with three elemental sources. Successful growth of epitaxial CH structured CuInS 2 were observed for films grown on GaP at 570 degrees with slightly Cu-rich composition. In this paper, CuInS 2 films with various [Cu]/[In] ratios are grown on GaAs(001) substrates, and the composition range in terms of the [Cu]/[In] ratio where epitaxial films with CH structure grow and the structural qualities of the films are discussed in comparison with those on GaP substrates. Films with various ratios of [Cu]/[In]=0.8 ≤1.9 are grown at 500 degrees and 570 degrees using the evaporation system described in our previous reports. Regardless of the substrate temperature, noticeable X-ray diffraction (XRD) peaks of CH structured CuInS 2 phase are observed in slightly Cu-rich films. However, reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) patterns of the slightly Cu-rich films grown at 570 degrees exhibit noticeable spots not only due to the CH structure but also due to the CA structure. The amount of the CA structure is considered to be small because of the absence of the XRD peaks of the CA

Irradiation induced improvement in crystallinity of epitaxially grown Ag thin films on Si substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Takahiro, Katsumi; Nagata, Shinji; Yamaguchi, Sadae [Tohoku Univ., Sendai (Japan). Inst. for Materials Research

1997-03-01

We report the improvement in crystallinity of epitaxially grown Ag films on Si(100) substrates with ion irradiation. The irradiation of 0.5 MeV Si ions to 2x10{sup 16}/cm{sup 2} at 200degC, for example, reduces the channeling minimum yield from 60% to 6% at Ag surface. The improvement originates from the decrease of mosaic spread in the Ag thin film. In our experiments, ion energy, ion species and irradiation temperature have been varied. The better crystallinity is obtained as the higher concentration of defect is generated. The mechanism involved in the irradiation induced improvement is discussed. (author)

Substrate mediated growth of organic semiconducting thin films; Templateffekte bei der Strukturierung organischer Halbleiterfilme

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Goetzen, Jan

2010-09-17

Since electronic properties of molecular materials are closely related to their structural order a precise control of the molecular packing and crystalline orientation of thin films is of vital interest for an optimization of organic electronic devices. Of particular interest in this respect is the initial stage of film formation which is largely governed by the interplay of intermolecular and molecule-substrate interactions. One approach to control the molecular film structure is based on substrate mediated growth. In this respect we have studied structural properties of thin films of pentacene, pentacene- 5,7,12,14-tetrone and perfluoro-pentacene which were grown onto various substrates including metals, metal oxides and graphite. On metal surfaces the molecules initially form a chemisorbed monolayer where molecules even can be uniformly aligned when using appropriate substrates with twofold symmetry. Further deposition, however, is accompanied by a pronounced dewetting and formation of disjoined islands which results from a large structural mismatch between the molecular arrangement in the monolayer and the crystalline phase. In some cases it is possible to orient such islands by utilizing step mediated nucleation and decoration of step bunches which allows the preparation of azimuthally well oriented elongated islands. On single crystalline oxides the growth parallels the situation found before for SiO{sub 2} where islands of upright oriented molecules are formed. The growth on graphite is somewhat particular since the lattice provides a natural template for acenes yielding epitaxially ordered monolayer films with planar adsorption geometry like in case of metals. Interestingly, however, no dewetting occurs upon further growth and instead rather smooth films are formed. The detailed analysis for the case of pentacene showed that the substrate-molecule interaction actually is weaker than the intermolecular interaction so that multilayer films can lift the

Nanostructural origin of semiconductivity and large magnetoresistance in epitaxial NiCo2O4/Al2O3 thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Zhen, Congmian; Zhang, XiaoZhe; Wei, Wengang; Guo, Wenzhe; Pant, Ankit; Xu, Xiaoshan; Shen, Jian; Ma, Li; Hou, Denglu

2018-04-01

Despite low resistivity (~1 mΩ cm), metallic electrical transport has not been commonly observed in inverse spinel NiCo2O4, except in certain epitaxial thin films. Previous studies have stressed the effect of valence mixing and the degree of spinel inversion on the electrical conduction of NiCo2O4 films. In this work, we studied the effect of nanostructural disorder by comparing the NiCo2O4 epitaxial films grown on MgAl2O4 (1 1 1) and on Al2O3 (0 0 1) substrates. Although the optimal growth conditions are similar for the NiCo2O4 (1 1 1)/MgAl2O4 (1 1 1) and the NiCo2O4 (1 1 1)/Al2O3 (0 0 1) films, they show metallic and semiconducting electrical transport, respectively. Post-growth annealing decreases the resistivity of NiCo2O4 (1 1 1)/Al2O3 (0 0 1) films, but the annealed films are still semiconducting. While the semiconductivity and the large magnetoresistance in NiCo2O4 (1 1 1)/Al2O3 (0 0 1) films cannot be accounted for in terms of non-optimal valence mixing and spinel inversion, the presence of anti-phase boundaries between nano-sized crystallites, generated by the structural mismatch between NiCo2O4 and Al2O3, may explain all the experimental observations in this work. These results reveal nanostructural disorder as being another key factor for controlling the electrical transport of NiCo2O4, with potentially large magnetoresistance for spintronics applications.

RHEED transmission mode and pole figures thin film and nanostructure texture analysis

CERN Document Server

Wang, Gwo-Ching

2014-01-01

This unique book covers the fundamental principle of electron diffraction, basic instrumentation of RHEED, definitions of textures in thin films and nanostructures, mechanisms and control of texture formation, and examples of RHEED transmission mode measurements of texture and texture evolution of thin films and nanostructures. Also presented is a new application of RHEED in the transmission mode called RHEED pole figure technique that can be used to monitor the texture evolution in thin film growth and nanostructures and is not limited to single crystal epitaxial film growth. Details of the construction of RHEED pole figures and the interpretation of observed pole figures are presented.  Materials covered include metals, semiconductors, and thin insulators. This book also: Presents a new application of RHEED in the transmission mode Introduces a variety of textures from metals, semiconductors, compound semiconductors, and their characteristics in RHEED pole figures Provides examples of RHEED measurements o...

Polar and Nonpolar Gallium Nitride and Zinc Oxide based thin film heterostructures Integrated with Sapphire and Silicon

Science.gov (United States)

Gupta, Pranav

This dissertation work explores the understanding of the relaxation and integration of polar and non-polar of GaN and ZnO thin films with Sapphire and silicon substrates. Strain management and epitaxial analysis has been performed on wurtzitic GaN(0001) thin films grown on c-Sapphire and wurtzitic non-polar a-plane GaN(11-20) thin films grown on r-plane Sapphire (10-12) by remote plasma atomic nitrogen source assisted UHV Pulsed Laser Deposition process. It has been established that high-quality 2-dimensional c-axis GaN(0001) nucleation layers can be grown on c-Sapphire by PLD process at growth temperatures as low as ˜650°C. Whereas the c-axis GaN on c-sapphire has biaxially negative misfit, the crystalline anisotropy of the a-plane GaN films on r-Sapphire results in compressive and tensile misfits in the two major orthogonal directions. The measured strains have been analyzed in detail by X-ray, Raman spectroscopy and TEM. Strain relaxation in GaN(0001)/Sapphire thin film heterostructure has been explained by the principle of domain matched epitaxial growth in large planar misfit system and has been demonstrated by TEM study. An attempt has been made to qualitatively understand the minimization of free energy of the system from the strain perspective. Analysis has been presented to quantify the strain components responsible for the compressive strain observed in the GaN(0001) thin films on c-axis Sapphire substrates. It was also observed that gallium rich deposition conditions in PLD process lead to smoother nucleation layers because of higher ad-atom mobility of gallium. We demonstrate near strain relaxed epitaxial (0001) GaN thin films grown on (111) Si substrates using TiN as intermediate buffer layer by remote nitrogen plasma assisted UHV pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Because of large misfits between the TiN/GaN and TiN/Si systems the TIN buffer layer growth occurs via nucleation of interfacial dislocations under domain matching epitaxy paradigm. X-ray and

Growth and characterization of high-Tc Y1Ba2Cu3O7-x superconducting thin films by chemical vapor deposition

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Feng, A.

1992-01-01

In chapter I, the current status of high-Tc superconductors (especially Y 1 Ba 2 Cu 3 O 7-x ), their microstructures and their unique physical properties are reviewed. An introduction to the potential and importance of those high-Tc superconductors in practical applications, especially for the application of YBCO thin films in microelectronics, is given. A general description of the common YBCO thin film fabrication and characterization techniques is also presented in this first chapter. Chapter II describes a new CVD process, temperature-controlled chemical vapor deposition (TC-CVD) for the growth of YBCO superconducting thin films on substrates of practical importance, such as sapphire (Al 2 O 3 ) and on substrates of lattice matched perovskite-type single crystals, such as LaAlO 3 . In order to verify the viability of this new CVD process the qualities of YBCO superconducting thin films were examined by various characterization methods, such as resistivity vs. temperature (R vs. T), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), and magnetic susceptibility (x) measurements. Chapter III deals with the effect of substrate temperature on the properties of YBCO thin films made by TC-CVD. The principle objective of this study is to raise the transition temperature and critical current densities of CVD YBCO superconducting thin films. Understanding the relations between YBCO film growth process and varying substrate temperatures proved to be crucial in reaching this goal. The authors present the characterization results of YBCO thin films produced by different temperature schemes, to illustrate the importance of varying substrate temperature during the film growth. In chapter IV, the Rutherford backscattering (RBS) channeling technique is described. They have used RBS channeling to characterize the epitaxial YBCO thin film's crystallinity and lattice alignment. Transmission electron microscopy studies are also included

Dynamics of ferroelectric nanodomains in BaTiO3 epitaxial thin films via piezoresponse force microscopy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pertsev, N A; Petraru, A; Kohlstedt, H; Waser, R; Bdikin, I K; Kiselev, D; Kholkin, A L

2008-01-01

Ferroelectric nanodomains were created in BaTiO 3 thin films by applying a voltage to a sharp conducting tip of a scanning force microscope (SFM). The films were epitaxially grown on SrRuO 3 -covered (001)-oriented SrTiO 3 substrates by a high-pressure sputtering. They appeared to be single-crystalline with the (001) crystallographic orientation relative to the substrate. Using the piezoresponse mode of the SFM to detect the out-of-plane film polarization, the domain sizes were measured as a function of the applied writing voltage and the pulse time. It was found that the time dependence of the domain diameter in a 60 nm thick BaTiO 3 film deviates significantly from the logarithmic law observed earlier in Pb(Zr 0.2 Ti 0.8 )O 3 (PZT) films. At a given writing time, the domain size increases nonlinearly with increasing applied voltage, in contrast to the linear behavior reported earlier for PZT films and LiNbO 3 single crystals. The dynamics of domain growth is analyzed theoretically taking into account the strong inhomogeneity of the external electric field in the film and the influence of the bottom electrode. It is shown that the observed writing time and voltage dependences of the domain size can be explained by the domain-wall creep in the presence of random-bond disorder

Anisotropic ferromagnetic behaviors in highly orientated epitaxial NiO-based thin films

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yu-Jun Zhang

2015-07-01

Full Text Available Antiferromagnetic materials attract a great amount of attention recently for promising antiferromagnet-based spintronics applications. NiO is a conventional antiferromagnetic semiconductor material and can show ferromagnetism by doping other magnetic elements. In this work, we synthesized epitaxial Fe-doped NiO thin films on SrTiO3 substrates with various crystal orientations by pulsed laser deposition. The room-temperature ferromagnetism of these films is anisotropic, including the saturated magnetization and the coercive field. The anisotropic magnetic behaviors of Fe-doped NiO diluted magnetic oxide system should be closely correlated to the magnetic structure of antiferromagnetic NiO base. Within the easy plane of NiO, the coercive field of the films becomes smaller, and larger coercive field while tested out of the easy plane of NiO. The saturated magnetization anisotropy is due to different strain applied by different substrates. These results lead us to more abundant knowledge of the exchange interactions in this conventional antiferromagnetic system.

Interplay of uniaxial and cubic anisotropy in epitaxial Fe thin films on MgO (001 substrate

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Srijani Mallik

2014-09-01

Full Text Available Epitaxial Fe thin films were grown on annealed MgO(001 substrates at oblique incidence by DC magnetron sputtering. Due to the oblique growth configuration, uniaxial anisotropy was found to be superimposed on the expected four-fold cubic anisotropy. A detailed study of in-plane magnetic hysteresis for Fe on MgO thin films has been performed by Magneto Optic Kerr Effect (MOKE magnetometer. Both single step and double step loops have been observed depending on the angle between the applied field and easy axis i.e. along ⟨100⟩ direction. Domain images during magnetization reversal were captured by Kerr microscope. Domain images clearly evidence two successive and separate 90° domain wall (DW nucleation and motion along cubic easy cum uniaxial easy axis and cubic easy cum uniaxial hard axis, respectively. However, along cubic hard axis two 180° domain wall motion dominate the magnetization reversal process. In spite of having four-fold anisotropy it is essential to explain magnetization reversal mechanism in 0°< ϕ < 90° span as uniaxial anisotropy plays a major role in this system. Also it is shown that substrate rotation can suppress the effect of uniaxial anisotropy superimposed on four-fold anisotropy.

A study of strain in thin epitaxial films of yttrium silicide on Si(111)

Science.gov (United States)

Siegal, Michelle F.; Martínez-Miranda, L. J.; Santiago-Avilés, J. J.; Graham, W. R.; Siegal, M. P.

1994-02-01

We present the results of an x-ray diffraction analysis of epitaxial yttrium silicide films grown on Si(111), with thicknesses ranging from 14 to 100 Å. The macroscopic strain along the out-of-plane direction for films containing pits or pinholes follows the trend observed previously in films of thicknesses up to 510 Å. The out-of-plane lattice parameter decreases linearly with film thickness. We show preliminary evidence that pinhole-free films do not follow the above trend, and that strain in these films has the opposite sign than in films with pinholes. Finally, our results also indicate that the mode of growth, coupled to the interfacial thermal properties of the films, affects the observed value for the strain in the films.

A study of strain in thin epitaxial films of yttrium silicide on Si(111)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siegal, M.F.; Martinez-Miranda, L.J.; Santiago-Aviles, J.J.; Graham, W.R.; Siegal, M.P.

1994-01-01

We present the results of an x-ray diffraction analysis of epitaxial yttrium silicide films grown on Si(111), with thicknesses ranging from 14 to 100 A. The macroscopic strain along the out-of-plane direction for films containing pits or pinholes follows the trend observed previously in films of thicknesses up to 510 A. The out-of-plane lattice parameter decreases linearly with film thickness. We show preliminary evidence that pinhole-free films do not follow the above trend, and that strain in these films has the opposite sign than in films with pinholes. Finally, our results also indicate that the mode of growth, coupled to the interfacial thermal properties of the films, affects the observed value for the strain in the films

Subcritical switching dynamics and humidity effects in nanoscale studies of domain growth in ferroelectric thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blaser, Cédric; Paruch, Patrycja

2015-01-01

Ferroelectric domain switching in c-axis-oriented epitaxial Pb(Zr 0.2 Ti 0.8 )O 3 thin films was studied using biased scanning probe microscopy tips. While linear and logarithmic dependence of domain size on tip bias and writing time, respectively, are well known, we report an additional linear dependence on relative humidity in the 28–65% range. We map out the switched domain size as a function of both the tip bias and the applied pulse time and describe a growth-limited regime for very short pulses and a nucleation-limited regime for very low tip bias. Using ‘interrupted-switching’ measurements, we probe the nucleation regime with subcritical pulses and identify a surprisingly long relaxation time on the order of 100 ms, which we relate to ionic redistribution both on the surface and within the thin film itself. (paper)

Oriented Y-typehexagonal ferrite thin films prepared by chemical

Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

Buršík, Josef; Kužel, R.; Knížek, Karel; Drbohlav, Ivo

2013-01-01

Roč. 203, JULY (2013), s. 100-105 ISSN 0022-4596 R&D Projects: GA ČR GA13-03708S Institutional support: RVO:61388980 ; RVO:68378271 Keywords : Y-type hexagonal ferrites * chemical solution deposition * thin films * epitaxial growth Subject RIV: CA - Inorganic Chemistry; BM - Solid Matter Physics ; Magnetism (FZU-D) Impact factor: 2.200, year: 2013

Study on structural properties of epitaxial silicon films on annealed double layer porous silicon

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yue Zhihao; Shen Honglie; Cai Hong; Lv Hongjie; Liu Bin

2012-01-01

In this paper, epitaxial silicon films were grown on annealed double layer porous silicon by LPCVD. The evolvement of the double layer porous silicon before and after thermal annealing was investigated by scanning electron microscope. X-ray diffraction and Raman spectroscopy were used to investigate the structural properties of the epitaxial silicon thin films grown at different temperature and different pressure. The results show that the surface of the low-porosity layer becomes smooth and there are just few silicon-bridges connecting the porous layer and the substrate wafer. The qualities of the epitaxial silicon thin films become better along with increasing deposition temperature. All of the Raman peaks of silicon films with different deposition pressure are situated at 521 cm -1 under the deposition temperature of 1100 °C, and the Raman intensity of the silicon film deposited at 100 Pa is much closer to that of the monocrystalline silicon wafer. The epitaxial silicon films are all (4 0 0)-oriented and (4 0 0) peak of silicon film deposited at 100 Pa is more symmetric.

FY 1997 report on the study on lamination control technology for functional multi-element oxide thin films by complex beam epitaxy (CxBE) process; 1997 nendo chosa hokokusho (sakutaisen epitaxy (CxBE) ho ni yoru kinosei tagenso sankabutsu usumaku no sekiso seigyo gijutsu ni kansuru kenkyu)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1998-03-01

Complex beam epitaxy (CxBE) process was proposed and demonstrated as new deposition process of multi-element oxide thin films. This process radiates excimer laser onto a metal complex target of ethylenediamine-tetraacetate complex under reduced pressure oxygen atmosphere condition in a reaction vessel to supply raw material onto a heated substrate. This process allowed deposition of YBCO123 phase hetero-epitaxial film onto a single-crystalline SrTiO3 substrate. This process was proved to be promising through study on crystal orientation, composition transcription and surface smoothness of the obtained oxide thin films. In addition, epitaxial ZnO film was also deposited onto a single crystalline Al2O3 substrate by this process. The relation between the obtained film and substrate epitaxy was examined, and photoluminescence of specimens was measured by triple wave of Nd:YAG laser. As a result, it was clarified that the epitaxial ZnO film prepared by this process is useful as laser material. 60 refs., 48 figs., 5 tabs.

The effect of a thin silver layer on the critical current of epitaxial YBCO films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Polturak, E.; Koren, G.; Cohen, D.; Cohen, D.; Snapiro, I.

1992-01-01

We compare measurements of the critical current density of an epitaxial YBCO film with that of an identical film overlaid by a thin silver layer. We find that the presence of the silver lowers Tc of the film by about 1.5 K, which is two orders of magnitude larger than predicted by the theory of the proximity effect for our experimental conditions. In addition, J c of the Ag/YBCO film near Tc is also significantly lower than that of the bare YBCO film. We propose two alternate interpretations of this effect, one in terms of destabilization of the flux distribution in the film and the other making use of the effect of the silver on the Bean-Livingston surface barrier for the initial penetration of flux. The latter seems the more plausible explanation of our results. (orig.)

On the Novel Biaxial Strain Relaxation Mechanism in Epitaxial Composition Graded La1−xSrxMnO3 Thin Film Synthesized by RF Magnetron Sputtering

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yishu Wang

2015-11-01

Full Text Available We report on a novel method to fabricate composition gradient, epitaxial La1−xSrxMnO3 thin films with the objective to alleviate biaxial film strain. In this work, epitaxial, composition gradient La1−xSrxMnO3, and pure LaMnO3 and La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 thin films were deposited by radio frequency (RF magnetron sputtering. The crystalline and epitaxy of all films were first studied by symmetric θ–2θ X-ray diffraction (XRD and low angle XRD experiments. Detailed microstructural characterization across the film thickness was conducted by high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and electron diffraction. Four compositional gradient domains were observed in the La1−xSrxMnO3 film ranging from LaMnO3 rich to La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 at the surface. A continuous reduction in the lattice parameter was observed accompanied by a significant reduction in the out-of-plane strain in the film. Fabrication of the composition gradient La1−xSrxMnO3 thin film was found to be a powerful method to relieve biaxial strain under critical thickness. Besides, the coexistence of domains with a composition variance is opening up various new possibilities of designing new nanoscale structures with unusual cross coupled properties.

Ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties of epitaxial PZT films and devices on silicon

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Nguyen, Duc Minh

2010-01-01

In this thesis, the integration of lead zirconate titanate Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 (PZT) thin films into piezoelectric microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) based on silicon is studied. In these structures, all epitaxial oxide layers (thin film/electrode/buffer-layer(s)) were deposited by pulsed laser

High magnetic field properties of Fe-pnictide thin films

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kurth, Fritz

2015-11-20

The recent discovery of high-temperature superconductivity in Fe-based materials triggered worldwide efforts to investigate their fundamental properties. Despite a lot of similarities to cuprates and MgB{sub 2}, important differences like near isotropic behaviour in contrast to cuprates and the peculiar pairing symmetry of the order parameter (OP) have been reported. The OP symmetry of Fe-based superconductors (FBS) was theoretically predicted to be of so-called s± state prior to various experimental works. Still, most of the experimental results favour the s± scenario; however, definitive evidence has not yet been reported. Although no clear understanding of the superconducting mechanisms yet exists, potential applications such as high-field magnets and Josephson devices have been explored. Indeed, a lot of reports about FBS tapes, wires, and even SQUIDs have been published to this date. In this thesis, the feasibility of high-field magnet applications of FBS is addressed by studying their transport properties, involving doped BaFe{sub 2}As{sub 2} (Ba-122) and LnFeAs(O,F) [Ln=Sm and Nd]. Particularly, it is important to study physical properties in a sample form (i.e. thin films) that is close to the conditions found in applications. However, the realisation of epitaxial FBS thin films is not an easy undertaking. Recent success in growing epitaxial FBS thin films opens a new avenue to delve into transport critical current measurements. The information obtained through this research will be useful for exploring high-field magnet applications. This thesis consists of 7 chapters: Chapter 1 describes the motivation of this study, the basic background of superconductivity, and a brief summary of the thin film growth of FBS. Chapter 2 describes experimental methods employed in this study. Chapter 3 reports on the fabrication of Co-doped Ba-122 thin films on various substrates. Particular emphasis lies on the discovery of fluoride substrates to be beneficial for

Strain-induced phenomenon in complex oxide thin films

Science.gov (United States)

Haislmaier, Ryan

Complex oxide materials wield an immense spectrum of functional properties such as ferroelectricity, ferromagnetism, magnetoelectricity, optoelectricity, optomechanical, magnetoresistance, superconductivity, etc. The rich coupling between charge, spin, strain, and orbital degrees of freedom makes this material class extremely desirable and relevant for next generation electronic devices and technologies which are trending towards nanoscale dimensions. Development of complex oxide thin film materials is essential for realizing their integration into nanoscale electronic devices, where theoretically predicted multifunctional capabilities of oxides could add tremendous value. Employing thin film growth strategies such as epitaxial strain and heterostructure interface engineering can greatly enhance and even unlock novel material properties in complex oxides, which will be the main focus of this work. However, physically incorporating oxide materials into devices remains a challenge. While advancements in molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) of thin film oxide materials has led to the ability to grow oxide materials with atomic layer precision, there are still major limitations such as controlling stoichiometric compositions during growth as well as creating abrupt interfaces in multi-component layered oxide structures. The work done in this thesis addresses ways to overcome these limitations in order to harness intrinsic material phenomena. The development of adsorption-controlled stoichiometric growth windows of CaTiO3 and SrTiO3 thin film materials grown by hybrid MBE where Ti is supplied using metal-organic titanium tetraisopropoxide material is thoroughly outlined. These growth windows enable superior epitaxial strain-induced ferroelectric and dielectric properties to be accessed as demonstrated by chemical, structural, electrical, and optical characterization techniques. For tensile strained CaTiO3 and compressive strained SrTiO 3 films, the critical effects of

Model experiments on growth modes and interface electronics of CuInS{sub 2}: Ultrathin epitaxial films on GaAs(100) substrates

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Calvet, Wolfram [Institute for Heterogeneous Materials Systems, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Hahn-Meitner-Platz 1, 14109, Berlin (Germany); Lewerenz, Hans-Joachim [Joint Center for Artificial Photosynthesis, California Institute of Technology, 1200 E. California Blvd., Pasadena, CA, 91101 (United States); Pettenkofer, Christian [Institute Silicon Photovoltaics, Helmholtz-Zentrum Berlin, Kekulestrasse 5, 12489, Berlin (Germany)

2014-09-15

The heterojunction formation between GaAs(100) and CuInS{sub 2} is investigated using ultraviolet photoelectron spectroscopy (UPS), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), and low energy electron diffraction (LEED). Thin layers of CuInS{sub 2} films were deposited in a step-by-step process on wet chemically pre-treated GaAs(100) surfaces by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) with a total upper thickness limit of the films of 60 nm. The film growth starts from a sulfur-rich GaAs(100) surface. XPS core level analysis of the substrate and film reveals initially a transitory growth regime with the formation of a Ga containing chalcopyrite phase. With increasing film thickness, a change in stoichiometry from Cu-poor to Cu-rich composition is observed. The evaluation of the LEED data shows the occurrence of a recrystallization process where the film orientation follows that of the substrate with the epitaxial relation GaAs{100} parallel CuInS{sub 2}{001}. On the completed junction with a CuInS{sub 2} film thickness of 60 nm, the band discontinuities of the GaAs(100)/CuInS{sub 2} structure measured with XPS and UPS were determined as ΔE{sub V} = 0.1 ± 0.1 eV and ΔE{sub C} = 0.0 ± 0.1 eV, thus showing a type II band alignment. (copyright 2014 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH and Co. KGaA, Weinheim)

Surface preparation for the heteroepitactic growth of ceramic thin films

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Norton, M.G.; Summerfelt, S.R.; Carter, C.B.

1990-01-01

The morphology, composition, and crystallographic orientation of the substrate influence the nucleation and growth of deposited thin films. A method for the preparation of controlled, characteristic surfaces is reported. The surfaces are suitable for the heteroepitactic growth of thin films. When used in the formation of electron-transparent thin foils, the substrates can be used to investigate the very early stages of film growth using transmission electron microscopy. The substrate preparation involves the cleaning and subsequent annealing to generate a surface consisting of a series of steps. The step terraces are formed on the energetically stable surface, and controlled nucleation and growth of films at step edges is found. The substrate materials prepared using this technique include (001) MgO, (001) SrTiO 3 , and (001) LaAlO 3

Epitaxial Pb(Zr,Ti)O3 thin films for a MEMS application

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nguyen, Minh D; Vu, Hung N; Blank, Dave H A; Rijnders, Guus

2011-01-01

This research presents the deposition and device fabrication of epitaxial Pb(Zr,Ti)O 3 (PZT) thin films for applications in microelectromechanical systems (MEMS). A piezoelectric micro-membrane is described as an example. Using the pulsed laser deposition (PLD) technique and the MEMS microfabrication process, the piezo-membranes with diameters ranging from 200 to 500 μm were obtained. The displacement of piezo-membranes increased from 5.1 to 17.5 nm V −1 with a piezoelectric-membrane diameter in the range of 200–500 μm. Furthermore, the effect of PZT film-thickness on the mechanical properties has been investigated. By using the conductive-oxide SrRuO 3 (SRO) layers as the electrodes, the degradation of both ferroelectric and piezoelectric properties is prevented up to 10 10 switching cycles

Growth and structural investigations of epitaxial hexagonal YMnO3 thin films deposited on wurtzite GaN(001) substrates

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balasubramanian, K.R.; Chang, Kai-Chieh; Mohammad, Feroz A.; Porter, Lisa M.; Salvador, Paul A.; DiMaio, Jeffrey; Davis, Robert F.

2006-01-01

Epitaxial hexagonal YMnO 3 (h-YMnO 3 ) films having sharp (00l) X-ray diffraction peaks were grown above 700 deg. C in 5 mTorr O 2 via pulsed laser deposition both on as-received wurtzite GaN/AlN/6H-SiC(001) (w-GaN) substrates as well as on w-GaN surfaces that were etched in 50% HF solution. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy revealed an interfacial layer between film and the unetched substrate; this layer was absent in those samples wherein an etched substrate was used. However, the substrate treatment did not affect the epitaxial arrangement between the h-YMnO 3 film and w-GaN substrate. The epitaxial relationships of the h-YMnO 3 films with the w-GaN(001) substrate was determined via X-ray diffraction to be (001) YMnO 3 -parallel (001) GaN : [11-bar0] YMnO 3 -parallel [110] GaN ; in other words, the basal planes of the film and the substrate are aligned parallel to one another, as are the most densely packed directions in planes of the film and the substrate. Interestingly, this arrangement has a larger lattice mismatch than if the principal axes of the unit cells were aligned

Ga-assisted catalyst-free growth mechanism of GaAs nanowires by molecular beam epitaxy

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Colombo, C.; Spirkoska, D.; Frimmer, M.; Abstreiter, G.; Fontcuberta i Morral, A.

2008-01-01