Cecilia Solís

Strain relaxation and oxygen superstructure modulation in epitaxial Sr4Fe6O13±δ films

The compressive strain induced in epitaxial Sr4Fe6O13±δ (SFO) films of different thicknesses grown on SrTiO3 substrates is partially released by the modulation of the incommensurate oxygen superstructure along the a-axis parallel to the substrate [q=αam*, superspace group Xmmm(α00)0s0]. The modulation α value varies proportionally to the in-plane a-parameter in a continuous range from 0.41, for fully strained thin films of about 20–30nm, to 0.44 for partially-relaxed thicker films of about 280nm. This mechanism is responsible for the observed slow relaxation of the cell structure upon the film thickness increase in comparison with an equilibrium misfit dislocation-mediated relaxation.

Pulsed Lased Deposition of MIEC Sr4Fe6O13±δ Epitaxial Thin Films

This paper describes the preparation of hi gh quality epitaxial thin films of the mixed oxygen-ion and electronic conducting (MIEC) Sr4Fe6O13±δ material by pulsed laser deposition on single crystal SrTiO3(001) substrates. Dependence of composition, structure and microstructure on deposition conditions has been studied. Films prepared in the optimum conditions consist of single-phase b-axis oriented Sr4Fe6O13±δ. Texture analysis reveals in-plane alignment with the a- and c-axes oriented along the SrTiO3 directions. Epitaxial, goodquality films have been also obtained on NdGaO3 and LaAlO3 substrates.

Epitaxial Sr_{4}Fe_{6}O_{13\pm\delta} films obtained by pulsed laser deposition

Abstract In this paper we describe the preparation of high quality epitaxial films of the Sr 4 Fe 6 O 13± δ compound with intergrowth structure by pulsed laser deposition on single crystal SrTiO 3 (0xa00xa01) substrates. The dependence of composition, structure and microstructure on the deposition conditions has been studied. The films prepared at the optimum conditions consist of b -axis oriented Sr 4 Fe 6 O 13± δ . Texture analysis reveals in-plane alignment with the a - and c -axis oriented along the SrTiO 3 〈1xa01xa00〉 directions. The film-substrate interfaces are well-defined and abrupt at an atomic scale. The films are partially strained due to the epitaxial growth on the SrTiO 3 substrate. The cell parameters of the films are very stable to high temperature annealing either under reducing or oxidizing conditions.