Inorganic Materials Science (IMS)

This is an animation of the growth of SrRuO₃ on TiO₂ terminated SrTiO₃. After the deposition of one unitcel layer, the termination is shifted towards SrO (RuO₂ evaporates until the termination shift is finished), followed by step flow growth of SrRuO₃.

TiO₂ has green color, SrO is red, and RuO₂ is yellow.

The corresponding RHEED intensity oscillation is given in the figure below. During the first oscillation (equal to the deposition of two unit cells of SrRuO₃) the termination shift takes place. Afterwards the typically RHEED signal of a step flow growth mode is given: no RHEED oscillations, high RHEED intensity and enhanced RHEED relaxations due to the pulsed deposition. The vicinal angle of the TiO₂ terminated SrTiO₃ substrate is 0.36 degree. On the right the AFM image is given after deposition of 40 nm: still the imprint of the substrate terraces can be seen.

RHEED during SrRuO₃ growth

This work has been done in collaboration with prof. Chang-Beom Eom, Department of Materials Science and Engineering, University of Wiscons, Madison, USA