In-situ monitoring of the growth of oxide thin films in PLD using high-pressure reflection high energy electron diffraction

Abstract

Reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) is very surface sensitive and often used for the analysis and monitoring of thin film growth in ultrahigh vacuum deposition system (for instance, Molecular Beam Epitasis). In order to in-situ monitor the growth of oxide thin films at high oxygen pressure up to 50Pa, a high-pressure RHEED designed and fabricated by our group was used for first time in our pulsed laser deposition system (PLD). Using the PLD system the Nb-doped SrTiO3 (STNO) and Y1Ba2Cu3O7 (YBCO) thin films have been epitaxially grown on SrTiO3 (001) substrates. T he RHEED patterns of the STNO and YBCO films and the oscillation of the intensity of the pattern have been measured by the high-pressure RHEED during deposition. In addition,the surface morpholoyg of the films and the dynamic analysis of film growth process were discussed.