Infrared spectroscopic, x-ray, and nanoscale characterization of strontium titanate thin films

Attenuated total reflectance (ATR) measurements were performed using Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy in the ATR mode with a thallium iodobromide (KRS-5) crystal to measure the frequencies of the v{sub 3} and v{sub 4} phonon absorption bands in thin Sr titanate films deposited on single-crystal Y-Ba Cu oxide (YBCO), La aluminate, Mg oxide, and Sr titanate substrates. The KRS-5 crystal enabled FTIR-ATR measurements at frequencies above 400 cm{sup -1}. Atomic force microscopy (AFM) and x-ray diffraction (XRD) measurements were also made to further characterize the films. The measurements were repeated on single-crystal specimens of Sr titanate and the substrates for comparison. Softening in the frequency of the v{sub 4} transverse optical phonon in the lattice-mismatched films below the established value of 544 cm{sup -1} is indicative of the highly textured, polycrystalline ceramic nature of the films and is consistent with the XRD and AFM results