Defect structure of epitaxial CrxV1-x thin films on MgO(001)

Journal Article · Wed Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 2014 · Thin Solid Films

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsf.2013.09.067· OSTI ID:1130645

Kaspar, Tiffany C.; Bowden, Mark E.; Wang, Chongmin; Shutthanandan, V.; Manandhar, Sandeep; van Ginhoven, Renee M.; Wirth, Brian D.; Kurtz, Richard J.

Epitaxial thin films of CrxV1-x over the entire composition range were deposited on MgO(001) by molecular beam epitaxy. The films exhibited the expected 45° in-plane rotation with no evidence of phase segregation or spinodal decomposition. Pure Cr, with the largest lattice mismatch to MgO, exhibited full relaxation and cubic lattice parameters. As the lattice mismatch decreased with alloy composition, residual epitaxial strain was observed. For 0.2 ≤ x ≤ 0.4 the films were coherently strained to the substrate with associated tetragonal distortion; near the lattice-matched composition of x = 0.33, the films exhibited strain-free pseudomorphic matching to MgO. Unusually, films on the Cr-rich side of the lattice-matched composition exhibited more in-plane compression than expected from the bulk lattice parameters; this result was confirmed with both x-ray diffraction and Rutherford backscattering spectrometry channeling measurements. Although thermal expansion mismatch in the heterostructure may play a role, the dominant mechanism for this phenomenon is still unknown. High resolution transmission electron microscopy was utilized to characterize the misfit dislocation network present at the film/MgO interface. Dislocations were found to be present with a non-uniform distribution, which is attributed to the Volmer-Weber growth mode of the films. The CrxV1-x / MgO(001) system can serve as a model system to study both the fundamentals of defect formation in bcc films and the interplay between nanoscale defects such as dislocations and radiation damage.

• Research Organization: Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), Richland, WA (US), Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory (EMSL)
• Sponsoring Organization: USDOE
• DOE Contract Number: AC05-76RL01830
• OSTI ID: 1130645
• Report Number(s): PNNL-SA-93687; 46001; KC0201020
• Journal Information: Thin Solid Films, Journal Name: Thin Solid Films Journal Issue: C Vol. 550; ISSN 0040-6090
• Publisher: Elsevier
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
Environmental Molecular Sciences Laboratory