CONTINUOUS SINGLE-CRYSTAL PBTIO3 THIN-FILMS EPITAXIALLY GROWN ON MISCUT (001)SRTIO3

Continuous single crystal (001)PbTiO3 (PT) thin films, 5 to 300 nm in thickness, were epitaxially grown on miscut (001)SrTiO3 (ST), miscut a ngle 1.7 degree, by rf-planar magnetron sputtering. The surface of the miscut substrates comprised periodic striped patterns with periodic s tep lines and terraces; the step height was 0.4 nm and terrace width w as 14 nm. The surface of PT thin films also comprised periodic striped patterns; the step height was 1 to 3 nm and the terrace width was 50 to 150 nn. The film growth was governed by a step-flow growth with ste p-bunching. The layer growth mode of Frank-van der Merwe type was pred ominant and the surface was extremely hat on an atomic scale. The resu ltant epitaxial films showed a single crystal/single c-domain structur e. Epitaxial growth on miscut substrate is essential to fabricate pero vskite thin films with controlled microstructure.