Defect accommodation in off-stoichiometric (SrTiO 3 )n SrO Ruddlesden–Popper superlattices studied with positron annihilation spectroscopy

Dawley, Natalie M.; Goodge, Berit H.; Egger, Werner; Barone, Matthew R.; Kourkoutis, Lena F.; Keeble, David J.; Schlom, Darrell G.

doi:10.1063/5.0011136

Defect accommodation in off-stoichiometric (SrTiO ₃ )_n SrO Ruddlesden–Popper superlattices studied with positron annihilation spectroscopy

Journal Article · Mon Aug 10 00:00:00 EDT 2020 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/5.0011136· OSTI ID:1801571

^[1]; ^[2]; Egger, Werner ^[3]; Barone, Matthew R. ^[4]; ^[5]; ^[6]; ^[7]

Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States). Department of Materials Science and Engineering; OSTI
Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States). School of Applied and Engineering Physics; Kavli Inst. at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, Ithaca, NY (United States).
Univ. Bundeswehr München (Germany)
Cornell University, Ithaca, New York (United States). Department of Materials Science and Engineering
Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States). School of Applied and Engineering Physics; Kavli Inst. at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, Ithaca, NY (United States).
Univ. of Dundee, (United Kingdom)
Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States). Department of Materials Science and Engineering; Kavli Inst. at Cornell for Nanoscale Science, Ithaca, NY (United States); Leibniz-Institut für Kristallzüchtung (Germany)

he low dielectric loss underlying the record performance of strained (SrTiO₃)_nSrO Ruddlesden–Popper films as tunable microwave dielectrics was postulated to arise from (SrO)₂ faults accommodating local non-stoichiometric defects. Here, we explore the effect of non-stoichiometry on (SrTiO₃)_nSrO using positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy on a composition series of 300 nm thick n = 6 (Sr_1+δTiO₃)_nSrO thin films. These films show titanium-site vacancies across the stoichiometry series, with evidence that TiO_x vacancy complexes dominate. Little change in defect populations is observed across the series, indicating the ability of Ruddlesden–Popper phases to accommodate ± 5% off-stoichiometry. This ability for defect accommodation is corroborated by scanning transmission electron microscopy with electron energy loss spectroscopy.

View Accepted Manuscript (DOE)

Research Organization:: Cornell Univ., Ithaca, NY (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: USDOE; USDOE Office of Science (SC)

Grant/Contract Number:: SC0002334

OSTI ID:: 1801571

Alternate ID(s):: OSTI ID: 1647274

Journal Information:: Applied Physics Letters, Journal Name: Applied Physics Letters Journal Issue: 6 Vol. 117; ISSN 0003-6951

Publisher:: American Institute of Physics (AIP)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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