We found a match
Your institution may have access to this item. Find your institution then sign in to continue.
- Title
Chemically specific termination control of oxide interfaces via layer-by-layer mean inner potential engineering.
- Authors
Sun, H. Y.; Mao, Z. W.; Zhang, T. W.; Han, L.; Zhang, T. T.; Cai, X. B.; Guo, X.; Li, Y. F.; Zang, Y. P.; Guo, W.; Song, J. H.; Ji, D. X.; Gu, C. Y.; Tang, C.; Gu, Z. B.; Wang, N.; Zhu, Y.; Schlom, D. G.; Nie, Y. F.; Pan, X. Q.
- Abstract
Creating oxide interfaces with precise chemical specificity at the atomic layer level is desired for the engineering of quantum phases and electronic applications, but highly challenging, owing partially to the lack of in situ tools to monitor the chemical composition and completeness of the surface layer during growth. Here we report the in situ observation of atomic layer-by-layer inner potential variations by analysing the Kikuchi lines during epitaxial growth of strontium titanate, providing a powerful real-time technique to monitor and control the chemical composition during growth. A model combining the effects of mean inner potential and step edge density (roughness) reveals the underlying mechanism of the complex and previously not well-understood reflection high-energy electron diffraction oscillations observed in the shuttered growth of oxide films. General rules are proposed to guide the synthesis of atomically and chemically sharp oxide interfaces, opening up vast opportunities for the exploration of intriguing quantum phenomena at oxide interfaces. Precisely controlled growth of oxide interfaces at the atomic layer level is critical for device applications but quite challenging. Here Sun et al. show real time monitoring and control of the surface composition of epitaxial strontium titanate perovskite films by analysing the Kikuchi lines.
- Publication
Nature Communications, 2018, Vol 9, Issue 1, p1
- ISSN
2041-1723
- Publication type
Article
- DOI
10.1038/s41467-018-04903-4