DIMENSION CONTROLLED EPITAXY OF QUANTUM FUNCTIONAL OXIDE THIN-FILMS BY PULSED-LASER PROCESSES

Laser MBE has been demonstrated to be a process especially useful for epitaxial layer-by-layer growth of ceramics thin films directly from s intered ceramics targets, Using the laser MBE system designed for oxid e film growth, we have convincingly proved the atomically controlled e pitaxy of various oxide films wits such lattice structures as perovski te, rock salt, fluorite, and corundum, by the in situ observation of c lear RHEED intensity oscillations. Due to the non-steady state nature of film growth by the laser MBE, as well as by the conventional pulsed -laser deposition, we could find a further advantage of the method; th e independent optimization of nucleation and growth processes by pulse sequence and laser energy density. This facilitates the control of di mensionality of films. Some of our recent results on the fabrication o f dimension controlled epitaxial oxide films are presented and discuss ed in relation to the atomic scale characterization and exploration of quantum structures and properties in oxides. (C) 1998 Elsevier Scienc e B.V.