Research Updates: Epitaxial strain relaxation and associated interfacial reconstructions: The driving force for creating new structures with integrated functionality
- Program of Materials Science and Engineering, Texas A and M University, College Station, Texas 77843 (United States)
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A and M University, College Station, Texas 77843 (United States)
- Department of Materials Science and Engineering, NSF Center for Advanced Materials and Smart Structures, North Carolina State University, Raleigh, North Carolina 27695 (United States)
- Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, Pembroke Street, Cambridge CB2 3QZ (United Kingdom)
- Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies (CINT), Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)
Here, we report detailed strain mapping analysis at heterointerfaces of a new multiferroic complex oxide Bi{sub 3}Fe{sub 2}Mn{sub 2}O{sub x}(BFMO322) supercell and related layered structures. The state-of-the-art aberration corrected scanning transmission electron microscopy (Cs-corrected STEM) and the modified geometric phase analysis (GPA) have been used to characterize the self-assembled transitional layers, misfit defects, and, in particular, the biaxial lattice strain distributions. We found that not only a sufficient lattice misfit is required through substrate selection and to be preserved in initial coherent epilayer growth, but also an appropriate interfacial reconstruction is crucial for triggering the growth of the new BFMO322 supercell structure. The observation of new transitional interfacial phases behaving like coherent film layers within the critical thickness challenges the conventional understanding in existing epitaxial growth model.
- OSTI ID:
- 22269587
- Journal Information:
- APL Materials, Vol. 1, Issue 5; Other Information: (c) 2013 Author(s); Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 2166-532X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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