Characterization of epitaxial thin films of Bi2VO5.5 on La-doped SrTiO3 substrates prepared by coating-pyrolysis process

Epitaxial thin films of Bi2VO5.5 (BVO) were prepared on La-doped SrTiO3 (LSTO) by a coating-pyrolysis process. The BVO films were (001)- and (114)-oriented on LSTO(100) and (110), respectively. Atomic force microscopic observations showed that very dense surfaces were obtained in the BVO films annealed at 600 degreesC and p(O2) = 10(-4) atm. The step heights of the BVO(001) film were in the range of 2-12 nm, each approximately corresponding to a multiple of the c-axis parameter of BVO. The low-p(O2) -processed and O-2-postannealed BVO films resulted in reproducible P-E hysteresis loops for both orientations, although somewhat leaky characteristics were observed at higher applied voltages. Anisotropic behavior based on the orientation difference was clearly observed. (C) 2002 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.