Nearly strain-free heteroepitaxial system for fundamental studies of pulsed laser deposition: EuTiO3 on SrTiO3

TL;DR

This study demonstrates the growth of high-quality EuTiO3 thin films on SrTiO3 substrates using pulsed laser deposition, with detailed real-time and ex situ characterization confirming their epitaxial, strain-free nature.

Contribution

It introduces a nearly strain-free heteroepitaxial EuTiO3/SrTiO3 system suitable for fundamental pulsed laser deposition studies.

Findings

Films grow two-dimensionally and epitaxially

No measurable in-plane lattice mismatch

Real-time monitoring of growth process

Abstract

High quality epitaxial thin-films of EuTiO3 have been grown on the (001) surface of SrTiO3 using pulsed laser deposition. In situ x-ray reflectivity measurements reveal that the growth is two-dimensional and enable real-time monitoring of the film thickness and roughness during growth. The film thickness, surface mosaic, surface roughness, and strain were characterized in detail using ex situ x-ray diffraction. The thicnkess and composition were confirmed with Rutherford Backscattering. The EuTiO3 films grow two-dimensionally, epitaxially, pseudomorphically, with no measurable in-plane lattice mismatch.