Crystalline properties of strontium barium niobate thin films produced by pulsed laser deposition

Highly oriented strontium barium niobate (SBN) thin films have been grown o n MgO {100} substrates by pursed laser deposition. The films have been char acterised by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy and atom ic force microscopy. XRD theta - 2 theta scans indicate that the single pha se crystalline SBN layers with the {001} orientation perpendicular to the p lane of the substrate. Because of the difference between the thermal expans ion coefficients of the SBN thin film and the MgO {100} substrate, it is ne cessary to adapt a slow cooling rate after deposition to retain the highly oriented SBN thin film on the substrate. The presence of non-uniform residu al strain in SBN thin film has been analysed from broadening of the (001) S BN film diffraction lines. The influence of oxygen partial pressure on the crystalline properties of SBN thin films have also been investigated.