Epitaxial growth of Pt and oxide multilayers on MgO by laser ablation

We have studied the epitaxial growth of Pt films on MgO substrates by laser ablation. Depending upon oxygen pressure during deposition, different Pt f ilm textures were observed. Pure (001) films are grown under oxygen (0.1 mb ar), while (111) films are formed under high vacuum (< 10(-6) mbar). By the complementary use of Rutherford backscattering spectrometry in channeling geometry and x-ray diffraction, the crystalline quality was found nearly pe rfect. Finally multilayered structures with LiCoO2 or LiMn2O4 layer on Pt f ilm on MgO substrates were epitaxially grown by laser ablation. Such oxide films could present interesting properties as insertion compounds in lithiu m batteries, and we demonstrate that LiMn2O4 could be used for the accurate determination of lithium concentration in solution. (C) 2000 American Inst itute of Physics. [S0021-8979(00)09717-6].