An Analysis of Kikuchi Lines Observed with a RHEED Apparatus for a TiO₂-Terminated SrTiO₃ (001) Crystal

Abstract

In this study, electron diffraction patterns observed under high vacuum conditions for an SrTiO3 surface were interpreted in detail while paying special attention to the features of inelastic effects. The surface of the SrTiO2 was carefully prepared to enforce its termination with single domains of TiO2 layers at the top. The inelastic patterns were interpreted using analytical models. Two types of Kikuchi lines are recognized in this paper: those which can be described with the Bragg law and those which appear due to surface wave resonance effects. However, we also discuss that there exists a formal connection between the two types of the Kikuchi lines observed.

Keywords

• perovskities
• nanostructured materials
• interfaces
• SrTiO₃
• RHEED
• Kikuchi patterns