Evaluation of recipes for obtaining single terminated perovskite oxide substrates

We have re-assessed different methods to obtain single terminated perovskite oxide Substrate Surfaces of SrTiO(3), LaAlO(3) and NdGaO(3). The Surfaces have been probed by a combination of atomic and lateral force microscopy, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and reflection high-energy electron diffraction. (0 0 1)SrTiO(3) surfaces were prepared with HF or plasma etching and annealing, (0 0 1)LaAlO(3) Surfaces were prepared with or Without HCl etching and a consecutive annealing at 750-1100 degrees C, and (1 1 0)NdGaO(3) surfaces were only annealed. Two of the recipes have previously been suggested to result in A-site terminated Surfaces. However, except for the case of high-temperature annealed LaAlO(3) where we observe a double-terminated Surface, our data Suggest that the single terminated surfaces obtained by these methods were of B-site type. (C) 2008 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.