HYDROGEN ANNEALING OF EPITAXIAL NIOBIUM FILMS ON SAPPHIRE

Citation
Pm. Reimer et al., HYDROGEN ANNEALING OF EPITAXIAL NIOBIUM FILMS ON SAPPHIRE, Zeitschrift für physikalische Chemie, 181, 1993, pp. 375-380
Citations number
6
Categorie Soggetti
Chemistry Physical","Physics, Atomic, Molecular & Chemical
ISSN journal
09429352
Volume
181
Year of publication
1993
Part
1-2
Pages
375 - 380
Database
ISI
SICI code
0942-9352(1993)181:<375:HAOENF>2.0.ZU;2-5
Abstract
High-resolution X-ray scattering studies of niobium [10] films grown b y molecular beam epitaxy on sapphire [1120BAR] substrates have reveale d novel structural features. In transverse scans of the out-of-plane N b (110) Bragg peak we find two components, the sharper of which implie s mosaicities an order of magnitude better than bulk single crystal Nb . The planes associated with the sharp component are aligned with the sapphire (1120BAR) planes. Upon hydrogen loading of the Nb film, we fi nd evidence for a dramatic increase of the lateral coherence length. I t appears that the addition of hydrogen may allow defects to move to t he film boundary, removing inhomogeneous strain and thus improving the epitaxial film quality by acting as a very effective ''cold-annealing '' agent.