Epitaxial Systems Combining Oxides and Semiconductors

Oxides form a class of material which covers almost all the spectra of functionalities: dielectric, semiconductor, metallic, superconductor, optically non-linear, piezoelectric, ferroelectric, ferromagnetic, etc. In this chapter, the integration of epitaxial crystalline oxides on the workhorse of the semiconductor industry, the silicon, by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is introduced. This paper reviews the key factors for the epitaxy of oxide crystal on semiconductor as well as the nucleation and growth of semiconductor on oxide substrate. A state of the art for epitaxial systems combining oxides and semiconductors is then given. Finally, a comparison between different complex oxide growth techniques and a description of devices for nanoelectronics combining semiconductors and oxides are presented.