Epitaxial films of mixed (Nb,Ti)O2 rutile have been grown on TiO2(100) rutile at 600 degrees C by molecular beam epitaxy. These films grow in a laminar fashion for Nb mole fractions up to ~0.10. In addition, reflection high-energy and low-energy electron diffraction, along with x-ray photoelectron diffraction and Rutherford backscattering reveal that the overlayers posses excellent long- and short-range structure order up to 10 at.%. However, strain-induced disorder becomes prevalent for higher Nb mole fractions, and the surface roughen and become defected accordingly. X-ray photoelectron diffraction and Rutherford backscattering reveal that Nb atoms substitiutionally incorporate at cation sites in the rutile lattice for all nb mole fractions investigated, leading to a mixed rutile NbxTi1-xO2 phase. Analysis of Nb 3d and Ti 2p core-level binding energies reveals that the oxidation state of both ti and nb is +4.
Revised: January 14, 2020 |
Published: May 1, 1996
Citation
Chambers S.A., Y. Gao, S. Thevuthasan, Y. Liang, N.R. Shivaparan, and R.J. Smith. 1996.Molecular Beam Epitaxial Growth and Characterization of Mixed (Ti,Nb)O2 Rutile Films on TiO2(100).Journal of Vacuum Science and Technology A--Vacuum, Surfaces and Films 14, no. 3:1387-1394.PNNL-SA-26770.doi:10.1116/1.579959