RBS characterisation of SrxBa1-xNb2O6 (SBN) thin films obtained by laser deposition

SrxBa1-xNb2O6 (SBN) is an attractive material for many applications such as nonvolatile ferroelectric random-access memories. SBN thin films have been grown by different techniques, such as solid source metalorganic chemical vapor deposition, liquid phase epitaxy, sol-gel synthesis and rf-sputter deposition. Pulsed laser deposition (PLD) is a relatively new growth technique which is ideally suited to the epitaxial growth of multicomponent oxides, because complex target compositions can be stoichiometrically reproduced at the substrate. Multilayer SBN/LSCO/TiN/MgO was prepared as follows: the (100) MgO substrate was glued onto a Ni holder with silver paint and the whole assembly was heated radiatively to the deposition temperatures in the range 450-800 deg. C. MgO substrates were annealed in oxygen at 1050 deg. C for 12 hours prior to the deposition of films. A UV-excimer laser (KrF, λ = 248 nm, t(FWHM) = 25 ns) operating at a repetition rate of 5 Hz was used for ablation. The laser fluence was varied between 0.8-2.6 J/cm2; 4000 pulses were given for the deposition of LSCO film and 8000 pulses for the deposition of SBN film. The composition of the film was analysed using RBS. The measurements were conducted using a 7 Li++ beam at 4.5 MeV provided by the Van de Graaff Tandem accelerator of IFIN-HH. An ordinary backscattering setup was used. The backscattered particles were detected using a passivated ion implanted silicon detector, placed at 145 angle with respect with the beam. The energy resolution for 7 Li at 4 MeV was about 30 keV. The sample surface was perpendicular to the beam direction. For the quantitative analysis of RBS spectra we used the code RUMP. A typical RBS spectrum of a SBN/LSCO/TiN/MgO sample is shown. A simulation is plotted on the same graph. The simulation curve fit well the experimental data. The profiles for different element are flat topped, indicating that the composition is constant with depth. The sharp high and low energy edges of the peaks indicate that the interfaces between the sub-layers are quite sharp; however, some interdiffusion is observed. (authors)