CRYSTAL-GROWTH OF OXIDE THIN-FILMS USING MASS-SEPARATED LOW-ENERGY O+ ION-BEAMS

A new technique developed for growing high-quality oxide thin films by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) is described. The technique uses low-energy and high density O+ ion beams mass-separated from an oxygen plasma, as an oxidation source. Since O+ ion beams have great oxidation ability and kinetic energy, the technique enables us to grow oxide films by MBE not only under ultrahigh vacuum comparable to the environment where semiconductors are prepared, but also at low temperatures. The application of the technique to the MBE growth of CuO, BaO, SrO and Sr-Cu-O thin films is also described.