Abstract
The surface topography of thin Bi 2Sr 2CaCu 2O 8+δ films prepared on SrTiO 3 (001) substrates by DC sputtering and layer-by-layer molecular-beam epitaxy (MBE) growth was investigated by scanning tunneling microscopy. The films were smooth but displayed a number of fine-scaled surface features, among them steps of unexpected height and domains of the incommensurate lattice modulation. The modulation period varied in dependence on the oxygen content of the films. High-resolution transmission electron microscopy investigations of cross sections were undertaken in order to identify the origin of the surface features and to correlate them with the bulk structure of the films. The surface steps on the DC sputtered films were shown to originate from the interplay of the island growth mode with nanometer-scale fluctuations of the chemical composition. The domains of the incommensurate modulation and the variation of its period were also found in the bulk of the films, as well as misfit dislocations near the Bi 2Sr 2CaCu 2O 8+δ/SrTiO 3 interface.
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