Fabrication and physical properties of thin TixOy membranes from single crystal TiO2

Abazari, Maryam; Sim, Jai S.; Viswanath, B.; Ramanathan, Shriram

doi:doi:10.1116/1.3676197

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Journal of Vacuum Science & Technology A / Volume 30 / Issue 2 / Vacuum Science and Technology

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J. Vac. Sci. Technol. A 30, 021601 (2012); http://dx.doi.org/10.1116/1.3676197 (6 pages)

Fabrication and physical properties of thin Ti_xO_y membranes from single crystal TiO₂

Maryam Abazari, Jai S. Sim, B. Viswanath, and Shriram Ramanathan

School of Engineering and Applied Sciences, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts 02138

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(Published online 11 January 2012)

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Utilizing focused ion beam (FIB) milling, we have fabricated thin membranes (also referred to as nanowalls) of Ti_xO_y of 100–300 nm thickness starting from rutile titania bulk single crystals. Low probe currents (∼80 pA) in conjunction with XeF₂-assisted milling enables minimal contamination during the fabrication process. Transmission electron microscopy studies indicated polycrystallinity and presence of nano-twins in the FIB-milled nanowalls. Formation of such nanoscale twinned structures may be related to high degree of nonstoichiometry, i.e., reduction as a result of milling in TiO₂ that is consistent with observations in other oxides in the literature. Compositional analysis in the transmission electron microscope also showed reduced content of oxygen, confirming nonstoichiometry after milling. The authors have studied the temperature dependence of the electrical conductivity behavior in such ultra-thin walls in the temperature range of 300 K < T <520 K as a first effort. Temperature dependence of the electrical resistivity of the nanowall showed semiconducting behavior with an activation energy different from that corresponding to TiO₂ single crystal and was attributed to formation of reduced Ti_xO_y phases after FIB processing. The results suggest a pathway to fabricate oxide structures for probing mesoscopic conduction phenomena.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The authors would like to gratefully acknowledge Army Research Office Grant No. W911NF-10-1-0515 and the Focus Center Research Program in the Materials Structures and Devices Focus Center for financial support.

Article Outline

INTRODUCTION
EXPERIMENT
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION
CONCLUSION

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KEYWORDS and PACS

Keywords

electrical conductivity, focused ion beam technology, semiconductor thin films, titanium compounds, transmission electron microscopy

PACS

68.55.-a

Thin film structure and morphology
68.60.-p

Physical properties of thin films, nonelectronic
68.37.Lp

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM)

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History

Received 25 September 2011
Accepted 19 December 2011
Published online 11 January 2012

Digital Object Identifier

http://dx.doi.org/10.1116/1.3676197

PUBLICATION DATA

ISSN

0734-2101 (print)

1520-8559 (online)

Publisher

American Vacuum Society

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