Molecular beam synthesis and high temperature electrical properties of crystalline ceria thin films

We report on molecular beam synthesis and high temperature electrical characterization of crystalline ceria thin films. It is found that CeO2 forms a mismatched interface with Al2O3 (0001) with the orientation relation of (111) CeO2 parallel to(0001)Al2O3 and [110] CeO2 parallel to[1 (2) over bar 210]Al2O3. The electrical conductivity was found to be 0.08 S/cm in air and independent of P-O2 down to 10(-16) atm at 1058 K. It is likely that the highly oriented nature of the film leads to altered electrical conductivity phenomena at lower oxygen partial pressures. (c) 2007 American Institute of Physics.