Accommodation of nonstoichiometry in (100) fiber-textured (BaxSr1-x)Ti1-yO3+z thin films grown by chemical vapor deposition

We have investigated the microstructural accommodation of nonstoichiometry in (BaxSr1-x)Ti1+yO3+z thin films grown by chemical vapor deposition. Films with y=0.04 and y=0.15 were studied by high-spatial resolution electron en ergy-loss spectroscopy, revealing changes in chemistry and local atomic env ironment both at grain boundaries and within grains as a function of titani um content. We find that excess titanium in the samples with y=0.15 segrega tes to the grain boundaries in addition to being partially accommodated in the grain interior. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0003-6951(99) 02217-2].