Oxide molecular beam epitaxy of complex oxide heterointerfaces

Abstract

Oxide molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is a unique technique for the synthesis of high-quality oxide thin films and heterostructures devoted to fundamental studies and to the fabrication of nanosized devices. In recent times, such a growth method has been customized for the realization of different multicomponent oxide materials. In the present article, the most important aspects related to oxide MBE are discussed, including design, control of the growth process, different deposition schemes, advantages, and challenges of the method. A focus will be put on the synthesis of oxide heterointerfaces by using atomic layer-by-layer (ALL)-oxide MBE, an advanced deposition method which allows for designing materials down to the atomic layer level. Several successful examples of oxide heterostructures and heterointerfaces, which have been fabricated by oxide MBE, are presented, demonstrating the power of the method.