TY - JOUR
T1 - Evolution of nanostructures of anatase TiO2 thin films grown on (001) LaAlO3
AU - Ciancio, Regina
AU - Vittadini, Andrea
AU - Selloni, Annabella
AU - Arpaia, Riccardo
AU - Aruta, Carmela
AU - Miletto Granozio, Fabio
AU - Scotti Di Uccio, Umberto
AU - Rossi, Giorgio
AU - Carlino, Elvio
N1 - Funding Information:
Acknowledgments We are grateful to E. Cociancich for the assistance in the TEM specimen preparation. Valuable and fruitful scientific discussions with P. Orgiani are thankfully acknowledged. R.C.’s research activity has received funding from the European Community’s Seventh Framework Programme 2007-2011 under Grant Agreement No. 212348 NFFA and Progetto strategico NFFA (fondi-MIUR). A.S. thanks the support of DoE-BES, Chemical Sciences, Geosciences and Biosciences Division, Contract No. DE-FG02-12ER16286.
PY - 2013/6
Y1 - 2013/6
N2 - Combining reflection high-energy electron diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and high-angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy we unveil the existence of a peculiar transition from a three-dimensional to a two-dimensional growth mode in anatase TiO2/LaAlO3 heterostructures. Such a growth dynamics is accompanied by Al interdiffusion from substrate to the growing film up to a critical thickness of 20 nm. With the extra support of ab initio calculations, we show that the crossover between the two growth modes corresponds to the formation of two distinct regions characterized by (103)- and (101)-oriented crystallographic shear superstructures, occurring in the upmost film region and in proximity of the film/substrate interface, respectively.
AB - Combining reflection high-energy electron diffraction, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy, and high-angle annular dark field scanning transmission electron microscopy we unveil the existence of a peculiar transition from a three-dimensional to a two-dimensional growth mode in anatase TiO2/LaAlO3 heterostructures. Such a growth dynamics is accompanied by Al interdiffusion from substrate to the growing film up to a critical thickness of 20 nm. With the extra support of ab initio calculations, we show that the crossover between the two growth modes corresponds to the formation of two distinct regions characterized by (103)- and (101)-oriented crystallographic shear superstructures, occurring in the upmost film region and in proximity of the film/substrate interface, respectively.
KW - Composition
KW - Defects and impurities
KW - Density functional theory
KW - Gradient and other corrections
KW - High-resolution transmission electron microscopy
KW - Local density approximation
KW - Segregation
KW - Thin-film structure and morphology
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U2 - 10.1007/s11051-013-1735-x
DO - 10.1007/s11051-013-1735-x
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:84878370271
SN - 1388-0764
VL - 15
JO - Journal of Nanoparticle Research
JF - Journal of Nanoparticle Research
IS - 6
M1 - 1735
ER -