Structural characterization of epitaxial Cu2Mo6S8 thin films grown on R-cut sapphire by pulsed laser deposition

We report the successful growth of Cu2Mo6S8 thin films. They were grown in situ by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) on R-cut sapphire substrates. Both X- ray (XRD) and high energy electron diffraction (RHEED) showed a high degree of epitaxial growth and theta-2 theta XRD analysis pointed out a (001)(R) orientation (in the rhombohedral setting). XRD phi-scans showed the coexist ence of two rhombohedral families rotated by 180 degrees, with the epitaxia l relations: [100](film) // [(1) over bar 11](substrate) and [010](film) // [(1) over bar 1 (1) over bar](substrate) for one family and the reverse fo r the other. Laue oscillations in the theta-2 theta XRD patterns and the na rrow rocking curve on the (001)R reflection demonstrate the high crystallin e quality, scanning tunneling microscopy (STM) and field emission high reso lution scanning electron microscopy (FE-SEM) confirmed the surface smoothne ss and the in-plane alignment. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science S,A, All rights re served.