Ceramic layer epitaxy by pulsed laser deposition in an ultrahigh vacuum system

Abstract

Ceramic layer epitaxy, defined as the epitaxial growth of ceramic thin films with thicknesses regulated on an atomic scale, was verified by a new method using pulsed laser deposition in ultrahigh vacuum (UHV). The intensity oscillation of reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) was observed in an ArF excimer laser deposition of CeO2 and SrTiO3 films on Si(111) and SrTiO3(001) substrates, respectively, at 650–750 °C under 5×10−7 Pa. The oscillation periodicities corresponded well to interplane distances of CeO2(111) and SrTiO3(001). This first observation of RHEED oscillation in laser deposition of ceramic films suggests that UHV laser deposition is a promising method for producing atomically regulated ceramic layers inclusive of possible new high Tc superconductors.