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Abstract: We report on growth-mode transitions in the growth of SrRuO3 thin films on atomically flat Ti4+ single-terminated SrTiO3 (111) substrates, investigated by reflection high-energy electron diffraction and atomic force microscopy. Over the first ~9 unit cells, the dominant growth mode changes from island to layer-by-layer for the growth rate of 0.074 unit cells/s and the growth temperature of 700°C. Moreover, in the course of growing SrRuO3 films, the governing growth mode of interest can be manipulated by changing the growth temperature and the growth rate, which change allows for the selection of the desired layer-by-layer mode. The present study thus paves the way for integrations of SrRuO3 thin layers into (111)-orientated oxide heterostructures, and hence multi-functional devices, requiring control of the sharp atomic-level interfaces and the layer-by-layer growth mode. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: We successfully grew SrFeO3−δ thin films in a layer-by-layer manner by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). When the SrFeO3−δ films were directly grown on atomically flat Ti4+-terminated SrTiO3 (111) substrates, the oscillatory reflection-high-energy-electron-diffraction intensity was completely damped after its third oscillation. By contrast, the introduction of SrRuO3 buffer layers onto the SrTiO3 substrates allowed the SFO thin films to grow in a layer-by-layer manner over a far-extended thickness range. The probable mechanism of that growth is electronic reconstruction-reduced electrostatic potential divergence. With that result, the present study provides a means of growing pseudocubic (111)-oriented SrFeO3−δ heterointerfaces, making possible the fabrication of high-functionality oxide heterostructures. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]