daiki katsube

Combined pulsed laser deposition and non-contact atomic force microscopy system for studies of insulator metal oxide thin films

We have designed and developed a combined system of pulsed laser deposition (PLD) and non-contact atomic force microscopy (NC-AFM) for observations of insulator metal oxide surfaces. With this system, the long-period iterations of sputtering and annealing used in conventional methods for preparing a metal oxide film surface are not required. The performance of the combined system is demonstrated for the preparation and high-resolution NC-AFM imaging of atomically flat thin films of anatase TiO2(001) and LaAlO3(100).

High-resolution imaging of LaAlO3(100)–(1 × 4) reconstructed surface using non-contact atomic force microscopy

High-spatial-resolution imaging of an insulating LaAlO3 film is performed with non-contact atomic force microscopy. The LaAlO3 film was grown homogeneously on a LaAlO3 substrate using pulsed laser deposition, and it was imaged without breaking the vacuum. The sample preparation method for obtaining atomically flat surfaces suitable for atomic resolution imaging is presented. The LaAlO3 surface shows a reconstruction with a (1 × 4) structure, which is consistent with low-energy electron diffraction results. We believe that the method presented in this manuscript is an important advancement in the fabrication of insulating thin films used for atomic-level devices.High-spatial-resolution imaging of an insulating LaAlO3 film is performed with non-contact atomic force microscopy. The LaAlO3 film was grown homogeneously on a LaAlO3 substrate using pulsed laser deposition, and it was imaged without breaking the vacuum. The sample preparation method for obtaining atomically flat surfaces suitable for atomic resolution imaging is presented. The LaAlO3 surface shows a reconstruction with a (1 × 4) structure, which is consistent with low-energy electron diffraction results. We believe that the method presented in this manuscript is an important advancement in the fabrication of insulating thin films used for atomic-level devices.