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Strain control and spontaneous phase ordering in vertical nanocomposite heteroepitaxial thin films

Nature Materials volume 7, pages 314–320 (2008)Cite this article

Abstract

Two-phase, vertical nanocomposite heteroepitaxial films hold great promise for (multi)functional device applications. In order to achieve practical devices, a number of hurdles need to be overcome, including the creation of ordered structures (and their formation on a large scale), achieving different combinations of materials and control of strain coupling between the phases. Here we demonstrate major advances on all these fronts: remarkable spontaneously ordered structures were produced in newly predicted compositions, vertical strain was proven to dominate the strain state in films above 20 nm thickness and strain manipulation was demonstrated by selection of phases with the appropriate elastic moduli. The work opens up a new avenue for strain control in relatively thick films and also promises new forms of ordered nanostructures for multifunctional applications.

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Figure 1
Figure 2: TEM micrographs of nanocomposite films.
Figure 3: X-ray diffraction data for nanocomposite films compared with pure perovskite films.
Figure 4: TEM images and models of crystallographic registry along the vertical interfaces in the nanocomposite systems studied.
Figure 5

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Acknowledgements

This work was supported by the European Commission (Marie Curie Excellence Grant ‘NanoFen’, MEXT-CT-2004-014156), the UK Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC), the US National Science Foundation (Ceramic Program, NSF 0709831) and the Los Alamos National Laboratory Directed Research and Development Project under the United States Department of Energy. We thank S. Wimbush and Y. L. Liu for assistance with the manuscript and L. Dunlop for helpful discussions. We also thank F. Aldinger of the Max Planck Institute in Stuttgart for providing P.Z. with the opportunity to undertake his diploma research in Cambridge. M. E. Vickers is thanked for assistance with the X-ray work.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Materials Science and Metallurgy, University of Cambridge, Pembroke St., Cambridge, CB2 3QZ, UK

    Judith L. MacManus-Driscoll, Patrick Zerrer, Arnaud Fouchet, Rong Yu & Mark G. Blamire

  2. Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Texas A and M University, 3128 TAMU, College Station, Texas 778433128, USA

    Haiyan Wang & Jongsik Yoon

  3. Materials Physics and Applications Division, K763, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, New Mexico 87545, USA

    Hao Yang & Quanxi Jia

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  1. Judith L. MacManus-Driscoll
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Correspondence to Judith L. MacManus-Driscoll.

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MacManus-Driscoll, J., Zerrer, P., Wang, H. et al. Strain control and spontaneous phase ordering in vertical nanocomposite heteroepitaxial thin films. Nature Mater 7, 314–320 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1038/nmat2124

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