Investigation of the structure of barium titanate thin films by Raman spectroscopy

Raman spectroscopy was used to examine the structure of barium titanium oxide thin films grown by metal‐organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) and laser‐assisted deposition. The spectra were compared with the spectra of a ceramic specimen and a single crystal. Raman peaks specific to the tetragonal ferroelectric phase of BaTiO3 were seen in the spectra of several films. Other Raman peaks were ascribed to impurity (non‐BaTiO3) phases in the films or to the substrates (fused quartz, MgO). Some of the Raman peaks showed a strong polarization dependence. The MOCVD films were also characterized by x‐ray diffraction, energy‐dispersive x‐ray spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. The film‐to‐film variation of the strength of BaTiO3 features in the Raman spectrum, relative to impurity‐phase features, was qualitatively consistent with the x‐ray diffraction and electron microscopy results. Spatially resolved Raman measurements showed that the structure of the laser‐deposited film varies significantl...