Continuous single crystal PbTiO₃ thin films epitaxially grown on miscut (001)SrTiO₃

Continuous single crystal (001)PbTiO₃ (PT) thin films, 5 to 300 nm in thickness, were epitaxially grown on miscut (001)SrTiO₃ (ST), miscut angle 1.7 degree, by rf-planar magnetron sputtering. The surface of the miscut substrates comprised periodic striped patterns with periodic step lines and terraces; the step height was 0.4 nm and terrace width was 14 nm. The surface of PT thin films also comprised periodic striped patterns; the step height was 1 to 3 nm and the terrace width was 50 to 150 nm. The film growth was governed by a step-flow growth with step-bunching. The layer growth mode of Frank-van der Merwe type was predominant and the surface was extremely flat on an atomic scale. The resultant epitaxial films showed a single crystal/single c-domain structure. Epitaxial growth on miscut substrate is essential to fabricate perovskite thin films with controlled microstructure.