Morphology and growth modes of metal-oxides deposited on SrTiO₃

Classical molecular dynamics simulations are used to examine the growth of SrO and TiO₂ thin films on SrTiO₃ (STO). In particular, the simulations consider the deposition of SrO and TiO₂ molecules at incident energies of 0.1, 0.5, and 1.0 eV/atom onto the (0 0 1) surface of STO. The role of surface termination layer (SrO vs. TiO₂) is analyzed. In the case of SrO deposition, smooth, ordered films are produced for all incident energies considered and for both surface terminations. By contrast, in the case of TiO₂ deposition, three-dimensional islands are formed under all conditions. These predictions are in good agreement with experimental data. Importantly, the simulations explain why these differing morphologies are produced for SrO and TiO₂ deposition.