Role of the interface on radiation damage in the SrTiO{sub 3}/LaAlO{sub 3} heterostructure under Ne{sup 2+} ion irradiation

Journal Article · Fri Mar 28 00:00:00 EDT 2014 · Journal of Applied Physics

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4870052· OSTI ID:22271116

Bi, Zhenxing; Zheng, Shijian; Zhang, Shixiong; Misra, Amit; Jia, Quanxi ^[1]; Vernon, L. J.; Aguiar, Jeffery A.; Fu, Engang; Wang, Yongqiang ^[2]

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1. Center for Integrated Nanotechnologies, Materials Physics and Application Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)
2. Materials Science and Technology Division, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545 (United States)

We systematically investigated the microstructural evolution of heteroepitaxial SrTiO{sub 3} (STO) thin films grown on a single crystal LaAlO{sub 3} (LAO) (001) substrate, focusing on the response of the STO/LAO interface to Ne{sup 2+} irradiation at room temperature. Cross sectional transmission electron microscope (TEM) analysis reveals that the LAO crystal amorphizes first after a relatively low dose of damage followed by the amorphization of the STO film after irradiation to a higher dose. While the critical dose to amorphize differs between each material, amorphization begins at the interface and proceeds outward in both cases. Thus, a crystalline/amorphous interface first forms at the STO/LAO interface by a dose of 1 dpa, and then an amorphous/amorphous interface forms when the dose reaches 3 dpa. Scanning TEM and x-ray energy dispersive spectroscopy indicate no significant heavy cation elemental diffusion, though electron energy loss spectroscopy reveals a redistribution of oxygen across the film/substrate interface after Ne{sup 2+} irradiation. Atomistic calculations are used to interpret the experimental findings in terms of the defect properties in each of the two component phases.

• OSTI ID: 22271116
• Journal Information: Journal of Applied Physics, Vol. 115, Issue 12; Other Information: (c) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA); ISSN 0021-8979
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

75 CONDENSED MATTER PHYSICS
SUPERCONDUCTIVITY AND SUPERFLUIDITY
ALUMINATES
AMORPHOUS STATE
ATOMIC DISPLACEMENTS
CATIONS
DIFFUSION
ELECTRONS
ENERGY-LOSS SPECTROSCOPY
INTERFACES
IRRADIATION
LANTHANUM OXIDES
MICROSTRUCTURE
MONOCRYSTALS
RADIATION DOSES
STRONTIUM TITANATES
SUBSTRATES
THIN FILMS
TRANSMISSION ELECTRON MICROSCOPY