Spectroscopic ellipsometry as an optical probe of strain evolution in ferroelectric thin films

doi:10.1364/OE.20.004419

Spectroscopic ellipsometry as an optical probe of strain evolution in ferroelectric thin films

D. Y. Lei, S. Kéna-Cohen, B. Zou, P. K. Petrov, Y. Sonnefraud, J. Breeze, S. A. Maier, and N. M. Alford »View Author Affiliations

Optics Express, Vol. 20, Issue 4, pp. 4419-4427 (2012)
http://dx.doi.org/10.1364/OE.20.004419

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Abstract

Heteroepitaxial strain in ferroelectric thin films is known to have a significant impact on both their low and high frequency dielectric properties. In this paper, we use ex-situ spectroscopic ellipsometry to study the strain evolution with film thickness, and strain relaxation in ferroelectric Ba_0.5Sr_0.5TiO₃ epitaxial films grown on single crystal substrates. For films grown on MgO substrates, a critical thickness for strain relaxation is observed. In addition, studies of Ba_0.5Sr_0.5TiO₃ films grown on different single crystal substrates reveal that the strain relaxation rate can be inferred from changes in the optical properties. Using this information, we show that the optical constants of Ba_0.5Sr_0.5TiO₃ can be readily tuned via strain engineering.

OCIS Codes
(120.2130) Instrumentation, measurement, and metrology : Ellipsometry and polarimetry
(160.2260) Materials : Ferroelectrics
(310.6860) Thin films : Thin films, optical properties

ToC Category:
Instrumentation, Measurement, and Metrology

History
Original Manuscript: November 23, 2011
Revised Manuscript: December 16, 2011
Manuscript Accepted: December 18, 2011
Published: February 8, 2012

Citation
D. Y. Lei, S. Kéna-Cohen, B. Zou, P. K. Petrov, Y. Sonnefraud, J. Breeze, S. A. Maier, and N. M. Alford, "Spectroscopic ellipsometry as an optical probe of strain evolution in ferroelectric thin films," Opt. Express 20, 4419-4427 (2012)
http://www.opticsinfobase.org/oe/abstract.cfm?URI=oe-20-4-4419

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References

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J. Q. He, E. Vasco, R. Dittmann, and R. H. Wang, “Growth dynamics and strain relaxation mechanisms in BaTiO3 pulsed laser deposited on SrRuO3/SrTiO3,” Phys. Rev. B73, 125413 (2006). [CrossRef]
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P. Petrik, N.Q. Khánh, Z. E. Horváth, Z. Zolnai, I. Bársony, T. Lohner, M. Fried, J. Gyulai, C. Schmidt, C. Schneider, and H. Ryssel, “Characterisation of BaxSr1−xTiO3 films using spectroscopic ellipsometry, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and X-ray diffraction,” J. Non-Cryst. Solids303, 179–184 (2002). [CrossRef]
Z. Hu, G. Wang, Z. Huang, X. Meng, F. Shi, and J. Chu, “Investigations of the optical properties of Ba0.9Sr0.1TiO3 ferroelectric thin films by spectroscopic ellipsometry,” Jpn. J. Appl. Phys.42, 1400–1404 (2003). [CrossRef]
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D. Y. Kim, S. E. Moon, E.-K. Kim, S.-J. Lee, J.-J. Choi, and H.-E. Kim, “Electro-optic characteristics of (001)-oriented Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 thin films,” Appl. Phys. Lett.82, 1455 (2003). [CrossRef]
K. Takeda, T. Muraishi, T. Hoshina, H. Kakemoto, and T. Tsurumi, “Birefringence and electro-optic effect in epitaxial BST thin films,” Mater. Sci. Eng. B161, 61 (2009). [CrossRef]
Y. Q. Wang, W. S. Liang, P. K. Petrov, and N. M. Alford, “Dissociation of misfit and threading dislocations in Ba0.75Sr0.25TiO3 epitaxial films,” Mater. Charact.62, 294–297 (2011). [CrossRef]
P. K. Petrov, K. Sarma, and N. M. Alford, “Evaluation of residual stress in thin ferroelectric films using grazing incident X-ray diffraction,” Integr. Ferroelectr.63, 183–189 (2004). [CrossRef]
J. A. Woollam Co., Inc., “Guide to using WVASE32: software for spectroscopic ellipsometry data acquisition and analysis,” Lincoln, NE, USA (1995).
T. Schimizu, “The effect of strain on the permittivity of SrTiO3 from first-principles study,” Solid State Commun.102, 523–527 (1997). [CrossRef]

Ahn, C. H.
Alford, N. M.
Alldredge, L. M. B.
Alpay, S. P.
Auciello, O.
Avrutin, V.
Bársony, I.
Boyd, R. W.
Chang, H. J.
Chang, W.
Chen, L. Q.
Choi, J.-J.
Choi, M. R.
Choudhury, S.
Chu, J.
Craigo, B.
Damjanovic, D.
Dittmann, R.
Eng, L.
Fox, G.
Fried, M.
Gao, Y.
Gevorgian, S.
Gu, X.
Gyulai, J.
Haeni, J. H.
Han, J. P.
Hawley, M. E.
He, J. Q.
Hoffman, J.
Hong, S.
Horváth, Z. E.
Hoshina, T.
Hu, Z.
Huang, Z.
Irene, E. A.
Irvin, P.
Jo, W.
Kakemoto, H.
Khánh, N.Q.
Kim, D. Y.
Kim, E.-K.
Kim, H.-E.
Kingon, A.
Kirchoefer, S. W.
Kohlstedt, H.
Krauss, A.
Lancaster, M. J.
Leach, J.
Lee, S.-J.
Levy, J.
Li, P.
Li, Y. L.
Liang, W. S.
Liu, H.
Liu, Y.
Lohner, T.
Ma, T. P.
Meng, X.
Meng, Y.
Moeckly, B. H.
Moon, S. E.
Morkoç, H.
Mueller, A. H.
Muraishi, T.
Özgür, Ü.
Pan, X.
Pan, X. Q.
Park, N. Y.
Peng, L. S.-J.
Pertsev, N. A.
Petrik, P.
Petrov, P. K.
Pond, J. M.
Porch, A.
Powell, J.
Reiche, P.
Reiner, J. W.
Rowe, E.
Ryssel, H.
Sarma, K.
Schimizu, T.
Schlom, D. G.
Schmidt, C.
Schneider, C.
Schultz, J. A.
Setter, N.
Shi, F.
Shin, H.
Stephenson, G. B.
Stolitchnov, I.
Streiffer, S.
Streiffer, S. K.
Taganstev, A. K.
Tagantsev, A. K.
Takeda, K.
Taylor, D. V.
Tian, W.
Tsurumi, T.
Uecker, R.
Vasco, E.
Walker, F. J.
Wang, G.
Wang, R. H.
Wang, Y. Q.
Xi, X. X.
Xiao, B.
Yamada, T.
Zembilgotov, A. G.
Zolnai, Z.

Adv. Mater.

J. Hoffman, X. Pan, J. W. Reiner, F. J. Walker, J. P. Han, C. H. Ahn, and T. P. Ma, “Ferroelectric field effect transistors for memory applications,” Adv. Mater.22, 2957–2961 (2010). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Appl. Phys. Lett.

L. S.-J. Peng, X. X. Xi, B. H. Moeckly, and S. P. Alpay, “Strain relaxation during in situ growth of SrTiO3 thin films,” Appl. Phys. Lett.83, 4592 (2003). [CrossRef]
B. Xiao, V. Avrutin, H. Liu, E. Rowe, J. Leach, X. Gu, Ü. Özgür, H. Morkoç, W. Chang, L. M. B. Alldredge, S. W. Kirchoefer, and J. M. Pond, “Effect of large strain on dielectric and ferroelectric properties of Ba0.5Sr0.5TiO3 thin films,” Appl. Phys. Lett.95, 012907 (2009). [CrossRef]
D. Y. Kim, S. E. Moon, E.-K. Kim, S.-J. Lee, J.-J. Choi, and H.-E. Kim, “Electro-optic characteristics of (001)-oriented Ba0.6Sr0.4TiO3 thin films,” Appl. Phys. Lett.82, 1455 (2003). [CrossRef]

Integr. Ferroelectr.

P. K. Petrov, K. Sarma, and N. M. Alford, “Evaluation of residual stress in thin ferroelectric films using grazing incident X-ray diffraction,” Integr. Ferroelectr.63, 183–189 (2004). [CrossRef]

J. Appl. Phys.

N. Setter, D. Damjanovic, L. Eng, G. Fox, S. Gevorgian, S. Hong, A. Kingon, H. Kohlstedt, N. Y. Park, G. B. Stephenson, I. Stolitchnov, A. K. Taganstev, D. V. Taylor, T. Yamada, and S. Streiffer, “Ferroelectric thin films: Review of materials, properties, and applications,” J. Appl. Phys.100, 051606 (2006). [CrossRef]

J. Non-Cryst. Solids

P. Petrik, N.Q. Khánh, Z. E. Horváth, Z. Zolnai, I. Bársony, T. Lohner, M. Fried, J. Gyulai, C. Schmidt, C. Schneider, and H. Ryssel, “Characterisation of BaxSr1−xTiO3 films using spectroscopic ellipsometry, Rutherford backscattering spectrometry and X-ray diffraction,” J. Non-Cryst. Solids303, 179–184 (2002). [CrossRef]

J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A

Y. Gao, A. H. Mueller, E. A. Irene, O. Auciello, A. Krauss, and J. A. Schultz, “In situ study of interface reactions of ion beam sputter deposited (Ba0.5Sr0.5)TiO3 films on Si, SiO2, and Ir,” J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A17, 1880 (2009). [CrossRef]

Jpn. J. Appl. Phys.

Z. Hu, G. Wang, Z. Huang, X. Meng, F. Shi, and J. Chu, “Investigations of the optical properties of Ba0.9Sr0.1TiO3 ferroelectric thin films by spectroscopic ellipsometry,” Jpn. J. Appl. Phys.42, 1400–1404 (2003). [CrossRef]

Mater. Charact.

Y. Q. Wang, W. S. Liang, P. K. Petrov, and N. M. Alford, “Dissociation of misfit and threading dislocations in Ba0.75Sr0.25TiO3 epitaxial films,” Mater. Charact.62, 294–297 (2011). [CrossRef]

Mater. Sci. Eng. B

K. Takeda, T. Muraishi, T. Hoshina, H. Kakemoto, and T. Tsurumi, “Birefringence and electro-optic effect in epitaxial BST thin films,” Mater. Sci. Eng. B161, 61 (2009). [CrossRef]

Nature

J. H. Haeni, P. Irvin, W. Chang, R. Uecker, P. Reiche, Y. L. Li, S. Choudhury, W. Tian, M. E. Hawley, B. Craigo, A. K. Tagantsev, X. Q. Pan, S. K. Streiffer, L. Q. Chen, S. W. Kirchoefer, J. Levy, and D. G. Schlom, “Room-temperature ferroelectricity in strained SrTiO3,” Nature430, 758–761 (2004). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Opt. Express

P. Li, Y. Liu, and Y. Meng, “Electrically controlled multifrequency ferroelectric cloak,” Opt. Express18, 12647–12652 (2010). [CrossRef]

Opt. Lett.

H. Shin, H. J. Chang, R. W. Boyd, M. R. Choi, and W. Jo, “Large nonlinear optical response of polycrystalline Bi3.25La0.75Ti3O12 ferroelectric thin films on quartz substrates,” Opt. Lett.32, 2453–2455 (2007). [CrossRef] [PubMed]

Phys. Rev. B

J. Q. He, E. Vasco, R. Dittmann, and R. H. Wang, “Growth dynamics and strain relaxation mechanisms in BaTiO3 pulsed laser deposited on SrRuO3/SrTiO3,” Phys. Rev. B73, 125413 (2006). [CrossRef]

Phys. Rev. Lett.

N. A. Pertsev, A. G. Zembilgotov, and A. K. Tagantsev, “Effect of mechanical boundary conditions on phase diagrams of epitaxial ferroelectric thin films,” Phys. Rev. Lett.80, 1988–1991 (1998). [CrossRef]

Solid State Commun.

T. Schimizu, “The effect of strain on the permittivity of SrTiO3 from first-principles study,” Solid State Commun.102, 523–527 (1997). [CrossRef]

Supercond. Sci. Technol.

M. J. Lancaster, J. Powell, and A. Porch, “Thin-film ferroelectric microwave devices,” Supercond. Sci. Technol.11, 1323–1334 (1998). [CrossRef]

Other

J. A. Woollam Co., Inc., “Guide to using WVASE32: software for spectroscopic ellipsometry data acquisition and analysis,” Lincoln, NE, USA (1995).

2011, Wang, Mater. Charact.
2010, Hoffman, Adv. Mater.
2010, Li, Opt. Express
2009, Gao, J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A
2009, Xiao, Appl. Phys. Lett.
2009, Takeda, Mater. Sci. Eng. B
2007, Shin, Opt. Lett.
2006, Setter, J. Appl. Phys.
2006, He, Phys. Rev. B
2004, Petrov, Integr. Ferroelectr.
2004, Haeni, Nature
2003, Peng, Appl. Phys. Lett.
2003, Kim, Appl. Phys. Lett.
2003, Hu, Jpn. J. Appl. Phys.
2002, Petrik, J. Non-Cryst. Solids
1998, Pertsev, Phys. Rev. Lett.
1998, Lancaster, Supercond. Sci. Technol.
1997, Schimizu, Solid State Commun.

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