Preparation and characterization of MgTiO3 thin films by atmospheric pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition

We report here for the first time, preparation of the ilmenite titanate MgTiO3 thin films on Si and SrTiO3 substrates by atmospheric pressure metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (APMOCVD) technique. Magnesium acetylacetonate [Mg(acac)(2)] and titanium isopropoxide [TIP] were used as the Mg and Ti precursors, and O-2 was the oxidizing gas. The deposited films were investigated using scanning electron microscopy, X-ray energy dispersion analysis and X-ray diffraction technique. The experimental results showed that the films deposited on silicon substrate were single-phase randomly oriented MgTiO3, and on SrTiO3 substrate, only a (012) orientation was observed. The MgTiO3 films, prepared on SrTiO3(100) substrates at a growth temperature of 650 degrees C, were transparent in the visible and exhibited a sharp absorption edge at 380 nm in the ultraviolet. The birefringence of the MgTiO3 films was also measured at room temperature by the cross-correlation method.