Formation and destruction of cube texture in MgO films using ion beam assisted pulsed laser deposition

Biaxially textured MgO thin films were deposited on amorphous substrates us ing ion beam assisted pulsed laser deposition. The development of the textu re and microstructure was investigated with electron diffraction and atomic force microscopy. After the first few nanometers of growth, a sharp nuclea tion texture is observed. During further growth a texture change takes plac e, leading to two texture components, one in the < 220 > direction and the other in the < 111 > direction parallel to the substrate normal. In both ca ses the < 200 > direction is parallel to the ion beam. This texture change can be explained in terms of the highly anisotropic sputter rate observed i n experiments on single crystals, leading to grains having a < 200 > direct ion parallel to the ion beam during growth being preferred. Without ion bea m assistance during further growth, one of the two texture components domin ates. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.