Rapid biaxial texture development during nucleation of MgO thin films during ion beam-assisted deposition

We propose a mechanism for the nucleation of highly aligned biaxially textured MgO on amorphous Si3N4 during ion beam-assisted deposition. Using transmission electron microscopy, reflection high-energy electron diffraction, energy dispersive x-ray analysis, and ellipsometery, we have observed that highly aligned biaxially textured grains emerge from a "diffraction-amorphous" film when the film thickens from 3.5 to 4.5 nm. Transmission electron microscopy dark-field images also show the onset of rapid grain growth during this same film thickness interval. These results suggest biaxial texturing through aligned solid phase crystallization. (C) 2002 American Institute of Physics.