APL Materials (Oct 2013)

Adsorption-controlled growth of BiVO4 by molecular-beam epitaxy

  • S. Stoughton,
  • M. Showak,
  • Q. Mao,
  • P. Koirala,
  • D. A. Hillsberry,
  • S. Sallis,
  • L. F. Kourkoutis,
  • K. Nguyen,
  • L. F. J. Piper,
  • D. A. Tenne,
  • N. J. Podraza,
  • D. A. Muller,
  • C. Adamo,
  • D. G. Schlom

DOI
https://doi.org/10.1063/1.4824041
Journal volume & issue
Vol. 1, no. 4
pp. 042112 – 042112

Abstract

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Single-phase epitaxial films of the monoclinic polymorph of BiVO4 were synthesized by reactive molecular-beam epitaxy under adsorption-controlled conditions. The BiVO4 films were grown on (001) yttria-stabilized cubic zirconia (YSZ) substrates. Four-circle x-ray diffraction, scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), and Raman spectroscopy confirm the epitaxial growth of monoclinic BiVO4 with an atomically abrupt interface and orientation relationship (001)BiVO4 ∥ (001)YSZ with [100]BiVO4 ∥ [100]YSZ. Spectroscopic ellipsometry, STEM electron energy loss spectroscopy (STEM-EELS), and x-ray absorption spectroscopy indicate that the films have a direct band gap of 2.5 ± 0.1 eV.