Plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy of high quality In{sub 2}O{sub 3}(001) thin films on Y-stabilized ZrO{sub 2}(001) using In as an auto surfactant

Journal Article · Mon Dec 28 00:00:00 EST 2009 · Applied Physics Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1063/1.3276910· OSTI ID:21347363

Bierwagen, Oliver; White, Mark E; Speck, James S ^[1]; Tsai, M -Y ^[2]

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1. Materials Department, University of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106 (United States)
2. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, University of California-Santa Barbara, Santa Barbara, California 93106 (United States)

The surface roughness of In{sub 2}O{sub 3}(001) films is a roadblock to potential semiconductor applications of this material. Using plasma-assisted molecular beam epitaxy we found that In{sub 2}O{sub 3}(001) films grow rough by the formation of (111) facets and In{sub 2}O{sub 3}(111) films grow smooth without facetting due to the conventionally used (oxygen-rich) conditions. This behavior indicates that the (111) surface is thermodynamically prefered over the (001) surface. We demonstrate that under indium-rich growth conditions these thermodynamics are changed allowing In{sub 2}O{sub 3}(001) films to grow smoothly without facetting. Surface indium plays a key role by acting as an auto surfactant that lowers the surface free energy difference between the (001) and the (111) surface.

• OSTI ID: 21347363
• Journal Information: Applied Physics Letters, Vol. 95, Issue 26; Other Information: DOI: 10.1063/1.3276910; (c) 2009 American Institute of Physics; ISSN 0003-6951
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

36 MATERIALS SCIENCE
CRYSTAL GROWTH
INDIUM
INDIUM OXIDES
MOLECULAR BEAM EPITAXY
OXYGEN
PLASMA
ROUGHNESS
SEMICONDUCTOR MATERIALS
SURFACE ENERGY
SURFACTANTS
THERMODYNAMICS
THIN FILMS
YTTRIUM COMPOUNDS
ZIRCONIUM OXIDES
CHALCOGENIDES
CRYSTAL GROWTH METHODS
ELEMENTS
ENERGY
EPITAXY
FILMS
FREE ENERGY
INDIUM COMPOUNDS
MATERIALS
METALS
NONMETALS
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
SURFACE PROPERTIES
THERMODYNAMIC PROPERTIES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
ZIRCONIUM COMPOUNDS