REFLECTION HIGH-ENERGY ELECTRON-DIFFRACTION MONITORED GROWTH OF INFINITE-LAYER SRCUO2 CACUO2 THIN-FILM HETEROSTRUCTURES

Reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED) intensity oscillat ions have been used for controlled, layer-by-layer growth of thin film heterostructures of the infinite-layer end-member compounds SrCuO2 an d CaCuO2. These artificially structured films are grown on (100) SrTiO 3 substrates by pulsed laser deposition under a low-pressure oxygen am bient, using a combination of atomic oxygen and pulsed molecular oxyge n, at a relatively low temperature of 500 degrees C. X-ray diffraction and transmission electron microscopy are used for the structural char acterization of the epitaxial heterostructures. Systematic variations in the electrical properties of the multilayers have been observed as a function of the thickness of the SrCuO2 and CaCuO2 layers for unit-c ell-level modulation periods. (C) 1995 Academic Press, Inc.