Photoemission (XPS and XPD) study of epitaxial LaAlO3 film grown on SrTiO3(001)

Abstract This study investigates the tensile-strained growth of LaAlO 3 on SrTiO 3 (0 0 1) substrate by molecular beam epitaxy (MBE). Growth was controlled in situ by reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED). The characterization was carried out ex situ by photoemission and atomic force microscopy (AFM). Photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS) reveals the development of a TiO x -rich interface. Photoelectron diffraction (XPD) confirms that a 1.2-nm-thick pseudomorphic LaAlO 3 film has been grown on SrTiO 3 (0 0 1) substrate with a perpendicular lattice parameter of 0.372±0.02 nm.