Steps and facets on annealed LAlO(3){100} and {110} surfaces

Lanthanum-aluminate (LaAlO3) is one of the optimum substrates for epitaxic growth of thin oxide films. In this paper, the structures of the {100} and {110} surfaces of annealed LaAlO3 are studied using reflection electron microscopy (REM). [010] steps have been observed on {100}, these are the lowest energy steps. The {100} surface is atomically Aat. but the {110} surfaces exhibit high-density fine structures distributed on large surface terraces. These fine structures correspond to the formation of small width (100) and (010) Beets on the (110) surface. A growth model is given to interpret the formation of large steps and large terraces on the {110} surfaces.