skip to main content
OSTI.GOV title logo U.S. Department of Energy
Office of Scientific and Technical Information

Title: Microstructural characteristics of conductive SrRuO{sub 3} thin films formed by pulsed-laser deposition

Journal Article · · Journal of Materials Research
 [1]; ; ;  [2]
  1. Department of Materials Science and Engineering, New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, Socorro, New Mexico 87801 (United States)
  2. Materials Science and Technology Division, MS K765, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)

Transmission electron microscopy and high-resolution electron microscopy have been used to study microstructural properties of conductive SrRuO{sub 3} films grown by pulsed laser deposition on (001) LaAlO{sub 3} and (001) SrTiO{sub 3} substrates. It was found that the SrRuO{sub 3} films deposited on both substrates consist of mixed domains of [001] and [110] orientations, with orientation relationships that can be described as (i) (001){sub f}{parallel}(001){sub s} and [110]{sub f}{parallel}[100]{sub s} and (ii) (110){sub f}{parallel}(001){sub s} and [001]{sub f}{parallel}[100]{sub s}, respectively. The SrRuO{sub 3} films deposited on SrTiO{sub 3}, in particular, was found to have a layered domain structure, with the [110] domain grown initially on the substate, followed by growth of the [001] oriented domain with increasing thickness. The films on SrTiO{sub 3} are strained and have a coherent interface with the substrate. The SrRuO{sub 3} films deposited on LaAlO{sub 3}, on the other hand, contain a high density of structural defects such as stacking faults and microtwins on the (022) planes. Microtwins as large as 50nm in thickness are observed in the films deposited on LaAlO{sub 3}. Possible causes for the observed structural defects in the films are discussed. {copyright} {ital 1998 Materials Research Society.}

OSTI ID:
641519
Journal Information:
Journal of Materials Research, Vol. 13, Issue 8; Other Information: PBD: Aug 1998
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English