Surface Stability of SrNbO$_{3+{\delta}}$ Grown by Hybrid Molecular Beam Epitaxy

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates the first successful growth of SrNbO$_{3}$ thin films using hybrid molecular beam epitaxy, enabling better study and stabilization of this high-mobility 4d transition metal oxide for electronic applications.

Contribution

It introduces a novel hybrid MBE growth method for SrNbO$_{3}$, overcoming synthesis challenges and enabling stabilization of its metastable Nb 4d$^{1}$ state.

Findings

Successful growth of SrNbO$_{3}$ films via hybrid MBE.

SrHfO$_{3}$ capping preserves Nb oxidation state.

Films exhibit high electron mobility potential.

Abstract

4d transition metal oxides have emerged as promising materials for numerous applications including high mobility electronics. SrNbO$_{3}$ is one such candidate material, serving as a good donor material in interfacial oxide systems and exhibiting high electron mobility in ultrathin films. However, its synthesis is challenging due to the metastable nature of the d$^{1}$ Nb$^{4+}$ cation and the limitations in the delivery of refractory Nb. To date, films have been grown primarily by pulsed laser deposition (PLD), but development of a means to grow and stabilize the material via molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) would enable studies of interfacial phenomena and multilayer structures that may be challenging by PLD. To that end, SrNbO$_{3}$ thin films were grown using hybrid MBE for the first time using a tris(diethalamido)(tert-butylimido) niobium precursor for Nb and an elemental Sr source on GdScO$_{3}$ substrates. Varying thicknesses of insulating SrHfO$_{3}$ capping layers were deposited using a hafnium tert-butoxide precursor for Hf on top of SrNbO$_{3}$ films to preserve the metastable surface. Grown films were transferred in vacuo for X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy to quantify elemental composition, density of states at the Fermi energy, and Nb oxidation state. Ex situ studies by X-ray absorption near edge spectra illustrates the SrHfO$_{3}$ capping plays an important role in preserving the Nb 4d$^{1}$ metastable charge state in atmospheric conditions.