Transfer of Epitaxial SrTiO 3 Nanothick Layers Using Water-Soluble Sacrificial Perovskite Oxides

Overview & Synopsis

The integration of functional thin film materials with adapted properties is essential for the development of new paradigms in information technology. Among them, complex oxides with perovskite structures have huge potential based on the particularly large diversity of physical properties. Here we demonstrate the possibility of transferring perovskite oxide materials like SrTiO 3 onto silicon substrate using an environmentally friendly process at nanoscale, by means of a water-soluble perovskite sacrificial layer: SrVO 3. Based on in situ monitoring atomic force microscopy and photoemission studies, we reveal that dissolution is initiated from a strontium rich phase at the extreme surface of SrVO 3. The transferred nanothick SrTiO 3 layer on silicon presents an effective morphology and monocrystalline quality, providing a proof of concept for the integration and development of an all perovskite oxide electronics or "oxitronics" onto any Si-based substrates.