Highly (200)-oriented Pt films on SiO2/Si substrates by seed selection through amorphization and controlled grain growth

Highly (200)-oriented Pt films on SiO2/Si substrates were successfully prep ared by a combination of a de magnetron sputtering using Ar/O-2 gas mixture s and subsequent controlled annealing. The intensity ratio of (200) to (111 ) planes (I-200/I-111) was over 200. The (200)-oriented Pt microcrystallite s were less susceptible to amorphization due to their lower strain energy w ith oxygen incorporation than (111)-oriented ones. The controlled grain gro wth from the selected (200)-oriented seed microcrystallites during subseque nt annealing provided a kinetic pathway where grain growth of the seed micr ocrystallites was predominant, while suppressing the nucleation of surface energy-driven, (111)-oriented seed microcrystallites and subsequent (111) p referred orientation.