Molecular beam epitaxial growth of SrO and CaO with RHEED intensity oscillation

SrO and CaO, related compounds of BSCCO superconductor, are grown onto SrTiO3(100) substrates with molecular beam epitaxy(MBE) technique. During growth, the specular spots of RHEED patterns show intensity oscillations, indicating two dimensional growth. The periods of oscillations are utilized to calculate the atom fluxes. It is shown that sublimation processes of both Sr and Ca metals in the effusion cells are stable under the growth condition of oxide films. The periods of oscillations during the SrO growth are independent of substrate temperature, confirming that Sr atoms are oxidized immediately and stay on the substrate surface without re-evaporation. These informations are practically available for precise control of the atomic layer controlled MBE of BSCCO superconductor thin films.