Epitaxial growth of strontium bismuth tantalatc/niobate on buffered magnesium oxide substrates

Epitaxial films of strontium bismuth tantalate (SrBi₂Ta ₂O₉, SBT) and strontium bismuth niobate (SrBi ₂Nb₂O₉, SBN) were grown using solution deposition techniques on magnesium oxide (MgO) substrates buffered with a 100 nm layer of lanthanum manganate (LaMnO₃, LMO), Film structure and texture analyses were carried out using x-ray diffraction. Theta-2theta diffraction patterns were consistent with a c-axis aligned structure for both the buffer layer and the solution deposited films. Theta-2 theta scans revealed (001)_{SBT, SBN} //(001)_LMO epitaxial relationships between the solution deposited films and the buffer layer, A pole figure about the SBT, SBN (115) reflection indicated a single in-plane epitaxy. Film quality was assessed using ω and φ scans. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance ( ¹³C) was used to characterized the methoxy-cthoxide solutions used for the deposition of the SBN and SBT films.