EPITAXIAL-GROWTH OF CEO2 ON MGO BY PULSED-LASER DEPOSITION

CeO2 thin films have been deposited on single-crystal MgO(001) substra tes by the pulsed laser ablation technique. The composition, phase for mation, crystalline quality of the films, and the film/substrate orien tation relationships have been analyzed by the complementary use of Ru therford backscattering spectrometry and X-ray diffraction analysis. T he films grown under vacuum at temperatures lower than 700 degrees C a re not crystalline. The quality of the films is largely improved at hi gher temperatures. So, highly textured (001) CeO2 films are grown at 7 50 degrees C under vacuum with a crystallinity comparable to that of m onocrystals. The film/substrate epitaxial relationships present well d efined in-plane orientations at 0 degrees and at 45 degrees. The relat ive amount of film grown in each one of these orientations is largely determined by the growth conditions.