Synthesis of thin film infinite-layer nickelates by atomic hydrogen reduction: clarifying the role of the capping layer

Abstract

We present an integrated procedure for the synthesis of infinite-layer nickelates using molecular-beam epitaxy with gas-phase reduction by atomic hydrogen. We first discuss challenges in the growth and characterization of perovskite NdNiO${}_3$/SrTiO${}_3$, arising from post growth crack formation in stoichiometric films. We then detail a procedure for fully reducing NdNiO${}_3$ films to the infinite-layer phase, NdNiO${}_2$, using atomic hydrogen; the resulting films display excellent structural quality, smooth surfaces, and lower residual resistivities than films reduced by other methods. We utilize the in situ nature of this technique to investigate of the role that SrTiO${}_3$ capping layers play in the reduction process, illustrating their importance in preventing the formation of secondary phases at the exposed nickelate surface. A comparative bulk- and surface-sensitive study indicates formation of a polycrystalline crust on the film surface serves to limit the reduction process.

Main text: 12 pages, 7 figures. Supplemental Materials: 11 pages, 11 figures

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Cited by in corpus (10)

• Cuprate-like Electronic Structures in Infinite-Layer Nickelates with Substantial Hole Dopings
• Electronic Structure of Superconducting Infinite-Layer Lanthanum Nickelates
• Superconductivity in PrNiO2 infinite-layer nickelates
• Superconductivity in the parent infinite-layer nickelate NdNiO${}_2$
• $\text{In situ}$ preparation of superconducting infinite-layer nickelate thin films with atomically flat surface
• Unraveling p-type and n-type interfaces in Superconducting Infinite-Layer Nickelate thin films
• Observation of Electride-like $s$ States Coexisting with Correlated $d$ Electrons in NdNiO${}_2$
• Oxygen sublattice disorder and valence state modulation in infinite-layer nickelate superlattices
• Achieving superconductivity in infinite-layer nickelate thin films by aluminum sputtering deposition
• Layer controlled orbital selective Mott transition in monolayer nickelate