Epitaxial growth characteristics of oxide thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition

Abstract

Some unique characteristics of epitaxial growth of oxide thin films prepared by pulsed laser deposition have been observed in this study. The study demonstrates that deposition temperature is one of the most important parameters in controlling orientation and epitaxial growth of oxide thin films. Higher temperature is usually imperative for the epitaxial growth. The threshold temperature for epitaxial growth of oxide film depends on the substrate materials, which relate mainly to the lattice mismatch and component similarity between the film and the substrate. A small lattice mismatch and a high component similarity are favorable to epitaxial growth and may decrease the epitaxial threshold temperature significantly. In addition, the orientation of CeO 2 film, grown on Si substrate, possess a unique dependence on ambient oxygen pressure, which demonstrates the significant influence of oxygen pressure to the epitaxial orientation of oxide thin films.