Preparation of Atomically Smooth SrTiO3 Substrates
This project was directed by Dr. Amlan Biswas in the University of Florida Department of Physics. I completed this project during the 2023-2024 academic year.
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Image: 2x2 micrometer AFM scan of an atomically smooth SrTiO3 substrate
Research Description
SrTiO3 (STO) is a perovskite that is commonly used as a substrate for thin film deposition due to its cubic structure and lattice constant that is close to many thin film materials. However, for STO to be successful as a substrate, it needs to have an atomically smooth surface, which requires a significant preparation process involving dual-annealing. The goal of this project was to optimize the preparation of atomically smooth STO substrates.
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This project involved treating STO substrates with ultrasonic cleaning, first with acetone, followed by ethanol and finished with DI water at 51-55 degrees Celsius for water annealing. After the surfaces were cleaned, they went into a furnace for thermal annealing, where the substrates were held at 1000 degrees Celsius for times ranging from 30 to 70 minutes. Once the substrates were annealed, atomic force microscopy (AFM) was used to verify that the surface was atomically smooth.
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