THE GROWTH AND PROPERTIES OF EPITAXIAL KNBO3 THIN-FILMS AND KNBO3 KTAO3 SUPERLATTICES/

Potassium niobate (KNbO3) thin films and potassium niobate/tantalate ( KNbO3/KTaO3) superlattices have been grown on KTaO3 (001) substrates b y pulsed loser deposition. The thin-film structures were analyzed by R utherford backscattering/ion-channeling techniques, x-ray theta-2 thet a and Phi scans, and both conventional and Z-contrast scanning transmi ssion electron microscopy. Excellent film flatness and crystallinity a re evidenced by these techniques. At room temperature, the KNbO3 films are characterized by an orthorhombic structure which differs from tha t of bulk KNbO3. The interfaces between the layers in the KNbO3/KTaO3 superlattice structures were found to be compositionally sharp on an a tomic scale. (C) 1996 American Institute of Physics.