Epitaxial Growth of Complex Metal Oxides, Second Edition reviews techniques and recent developments in the fabrication quality of complex metal oxides, which are facilitating advances in electronic, magnetic and optical applications. Sections review the key techniques involved in the epitaxial growth of complex metal oxides and explore the effects of strain and stoichiometry on crystal structure and related properties in thin film oxides. Finally, the book concludes by discussing selected examples of important applications of complex metal oxide thin films, including optoelectronics, batteries, spintronics and neuromorphic applications. This new edition has been fully updated, with brand new chapters on topics such as atomic layer deposition, interfaces, STEM-EELs, and the epitaxial growth of multiferroics, ferroelectrics and nanocomposites. - Examines the techniques used in epitaxial thin film growth for complex oxides, including atomic layer deposition, sputtering techniques, molecular beam epitaxy, and chemical solution deposition techniques - Reviews materials design strategies and materials property analysis methods, including the impacts of defects, strain, interfaces and stoichiometry - Describes key applications of epitaxially grown metal oxides, including optoelectronics, batteries, spintronics and neuromorphic applications

Metal Oxide-Based Thin Film Structures: Formation, Characterization and Application of Interface-Based Phenomena bridges the gap between thin film deposition and device development by exploring the synthesis, properties and applications of thin film interfaces. Part I deals with theoretical and experimental aspects of epitaxial growth, the structure and morphology of oxide-metal interfaces deposited with different deposition techniques and new developments in growth methods. Part II concerns analysis techniques for the electrical, optical, magnetic and structural properties of thin film interfaces. In Part III, the emphasis is on ionic and electronic transport at the interfaces of Metal-oxide thin films. Part IV discusses methods for tailoring metal oxide thin film interfaces for specific applications, including microelectronics, communication, optical electronics, catalysis, and energy generation and conservation. This book is an essential resource for anyone seeking to further their knowledge of metal oxide thin films and interfaces, including scientists and engineers working on electronic devices and energy systems and those engaged in research into electronic materials. - Introduces the theoretical and experimental aspects of epitaxial growth for the benefit of readers new to the field - Explores state-of-the-art analysis techniques and their application to interface properties in order to give a fuller understanding of the relationship between macroscopic properties and atomic-scale manipulation - Discusses techniques for tailoring thin film interfaces for specific applications, including information, electronics and energy technologies, making this book essential reading for materials scientists and engineers alike

The crystallization of complex-oxide materials through a transformation from the amorphous to crystalline forms presents a range of new opportunities to synthesize new materials, and simultaneously poses important scientific challenges. New crystallization method complements more conventional vapor-phase epitaxy techniques for epitaxial complex-oxide thin film growth that involve long-range surface diffusion on 2D planar crystal surfaces. The vapor-phase techniques are not readily adaptable to creating nanoscale epitaxial complex-oxide crystals. The alternative synthesis method described in this thesis is solid-phase crystallization, which is the crystallization of amorphous oxides, often in the form of thin films, by post-deposition heating. The creation of epitaxial complex-oxide nanostructures can facilitate their integration in 3D electronic, optoelectronic and ionic devices. Epitaxial complex-oxide crystals in intricate geometries can be created by solid-phase crystallization employing patterned substrates with a distribution of isolated crystalline seeds. This method requires the study of distinct crystal growth and nucleation kinetics on epitaxial and non-epitaxial surfaces. Nanoscale seeded crystallization can be achieved by understanding the relative rates of nucleation and lateral crystal growth processes, and the role of seeds in determining the overall orientation of the resulting crystals. Epitaxial complex-oxide thin films in intricate geometries with an expanded range of compositions can be created by combining the use of atomic layer deposition (ALD) and solid-phase crystallization, with the development of new ALD procedures to deposit amorphous oxide films and the study of the subsequent crystallization processes to select the crystalline structures of the crystallized film. ALD itself allows for the conformal deposition of thin films over non-planar surfaces. Solid-phase crystallization can also be used to deposit epitaxial complex-oxide thin films with a wider range of compositions, including those that cannot be deposited from the vapor phase at high temperatures. Such oxides include the oxides that have complex compositions and volatile components. The different kinetic constraints of solid-phase crystallization allow the epitaxial growth of those oxide thin films because of the slow diffusion in the solid state at relatively low crystallization temperatures. This thesis describes the discovery that, at low crystallization temperatures, epitaxial crystal growth of the model perovskite SrTiO3 on single-crystal SrTiO3 propagates over long distances without nucleation of SrTiO3 on Si with a native oxide. Two kinds of isolated nanoscale seed crystals are employed to study the seeded lateral crystallization of SrTiO3, yielding highly similar results. Micron-scale crystalline regions form surrounding the seeds before encountering separately nucleated crystals away from the seeds. Seed crystals play an important role in determining the orientations of the resulting crystals. New chemical precursors and ALD procedures were developed to grow amorphous PrAlO3 films. An epitaxial [lowercase gamma]-Al2O3 layer formed at the interface between the PrAlO3 film and (001) SrTiO3 substrate during the deposition. Epitaxial PrAlO3 films were achieved on (001) [lowercase gamma]-Al2O3/SrTiO3 by solid-phase epitaxy. The study of SrTiO3 and PrAlO[3] is also applicable to a series of chemically and structurally similar functional ABO3 compounds. The concepts of solid-phase crystallization also apply to oxides with multiple metal ions and more complex crystal structure. The kinetic processes occurring during the crystallization of ScAlMgO4, on (0001) sapphire substrates are quite different at two different temperatures. Epitaxial ScAlMgO4 crystals grow through the film thickness at a crystallization temperature of 950 °C. Solid-state reaction and evaporation of the component Sc prohibits the formation of large ScAlMgO4 crystals at a crystallization temperature of 1400 °C. Low-temperature crystallization can be used to create epitaxial oxide thin films with complex compositions and volatile components.

Although there has been steady progress in understanding aspects of epitaxial growth throughout the last 30 years of modern surface science, work in this area has intensified greatly in the last 5 years. A number of factors have contributed to this expansion. One has been the general trend in surface science to tackle problems of increasing complexity as confidence is gained in the methodology, so for example, the role of oxide/metal interfaces in determining the properties of many practical supported catalysts is now being explored in greater detail. A second factor is the recognition of the potential importance of artificial multilayer materials not only in semiconductor devices but also in metal/metal systems because of their novel magnetic properties. Perhaps even more important than either of these application areas, however, is the newly-discovered power of scanning probe microscopies, and most notably scanning tunneling microscopy (STM), to provide the means to study epitaxial growth phenomena on an atomic scale under a wide range of conditions. These techniques have also contributed to revitalised interest in methods of fabricating and exploiting artificial structures (lateral as well as in layers) on a nanometre scale.This volume, on Growth and Properties of Ultrathin Epitaxial Layers, includes a collection of articles which reflects the present state of activity in this field. The emphasis is on metals and oxides rather than semiconductors.

Thin Film Metal-Oxides provides a representative account of the fundamental structure-property relations in oxide thin films. Functional properties of thin film oxides are discussed in the context of applications in emerging electronics and renewable energy technologies. Readers will find a detailed description of deposition and characterization of metal oxide thin films, theoretical treatment of select properties and their functional performance in solid state devices, from leading researchers. Scientists and engineers involved with oxide semiconductors, electronic materials and alternative energy will find Thin Film Metal-Oxides a useful reference.

Thin-film epitaxy is integral to many current and emerging technologies, and continued progress in solving critical issues is essential to the realization of new devices. This book, first published in 2000, focuses on progress in solving fundamental issues in the epitaxial growth of metals and oxides. Insights from both experiment, and modeling are combined to facilitate cross fertilization of ideas and understanding. Highlighted is the use of in situ characterization techniques for enhancing the efficiency of materials development. Thin-film research is often empirical in nature. Techniques for minimizing the time spent exploring the complex parameter space in order to optimize growth and processing conditions are of particular value. Among the techniques discussed are spectroscopic ellipsometry and ion scattering and recoil spectrometry, LEEM (low-energy electron microscopy), STM (scanning tunneling microscopy), TEM (transmission electron microscopy) and RHEED (reflection high-energy electron diffraction). Topics include: growth and dynamics of metal films; structure and oxidation of metal films and surfaces; in situ studies of oxide growth and epitaxial growth of oxides.