Out-of-phase boundary (OPB) nucleation in layered oxides

M. A. Zurbuchen, J. Lettieri, Y. Jia, A. H. Carim, S. K. Streiffer, D. G. Schlom

Research output: Chapter in Book/Report/Conference proceedingConference contributionpeer-review

Abstract

Out-of-phase boundaries (OPBs), planar faults between regions of a crystal that are misaligned by a fraction of a unit cell dimension, occur frequently in materials of high structural anisotropy. Rarely observed in the bulk, OPBs frequently exist in epitaxial films of layered complex oxides, such as YBa 2Cu3O7-δ-type, Aurivillius, and Ruddlesden-Popper phases, and frequently propagate through the entire thickness of a film, due to their large offset and the improbability of opposite-sign OPB annihilation. OPBs have previously been demonstrated to have a significant impact upon properties, so it is important to understand their generation. These faults arise through the same few mechanisms in the various layered complex oxides. An effort is made to unify the discussion of nucleation of these defects, common to layered oxide materials. OPBs can nucleate at the film-substrate interface (primary) via steric, chemical, or misfit mechanisms, or post-growth (secondary) through crystallographic shear during decomposition of volatile components. Examples of the mechanisms observed during highresolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM) study of Aurivillius and RuddlesdenPopper phases are presented. A method for estimating the relative OPB density in a film from correlation of x-ray diffraction (XRD) θ-2θ data with TEM information on OPBs is presented.

Original languageEnglish
Title of host publicationFerroelectric Thin Films XIII
PublisherMaterials Research Society
Pages293-298
Number of pages6
ISBN (Print)155899856X, 9781558998568
DOIs
StatePublished - 2005
Externally publishedYes
Event2005 MRS Fall Meeting - Boston, MA, United States
Duration: Nov 28 2005Dec 2 2005

Publication series

NameMaterials Research Society Symposium Proceedings
Volume902
ISSN (Print)0272-9172

Conference

Conference2005 MRS Fall Meeting
Country/TerritoryUnited States
CityBoston, MA
Period11/28/0512/2/05

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