Perovskite thin film design

Our investigations on energy conversion with multifunctional oxides require epitaxial thin film samples with high crystallographic quality, smooth surfaces and well-defined interfaces. We prepare these films by means of non-equilibrium deposition techniques like ion-beam sputtering.

Preparation of high-quality films requires careful adaptation of the deposition process parameters to the material in question. Preparation-caused defects as well as straining due to lattice mismatch between film and substrate can strongly affect the crystallographic order, the performance of surfaces and interfaces as well as phase formation. Phase diagrams of film and bulk materials are frequently very different. Therefore, all properties of interest might be strongly affected by the deposition process.