Two‐Layer Crystallization of Amorphous YMnO3 Thin Films on Si (100) Substrates

Abstract

During a rapid thermal annealing process at 850°C in a N2 ambient, an as‐deposited amorphous YMnO3 thin film on Si (100) substrates was crystallized with two distinct layers. High‐resolution transmission electron microscopy showed a top layer of c‐axis‐oriented YMnO3 and a bottom layer of polycrystalline YMnO3 in the 100‐nm‐thick YMnO3 thin film. The abrupt change of the crystalline orientation from the c‐axis‐preferred orientation to the random orientation is caused primarily by high stress induced by the c‐axis‐oriented YMnO3 layer. High‐resolution X‐ray diffraction showed that the c‐axis‐oriented YMnO3/polycrystalline YMnO3 structure effectively relieved the stress.