Atomically flat (110) SrTiO3 and heteroepitaxy -: art. no. 171908

We have prepared an atomically flat and insulating (110) SrTiO3 surface by annealing at high temperature under varying oxygen partial pressure. At low pressure, the polar surface is stabilized by oxygen vacancies, resulting in an atomically flat surface characterized by (110) unit-cell steps. The vacancies can be filled while maintaining this surface structure, providing an atomically ideal (110) substrate. We demonstrate two-dimensional homoepitaxial and heteroepitaxial growth, establishing the potential of this growth orientation for controlling interface states arising from polarity discontinuities in perovskite heterostructures. (c) 2005 American Institute of Physics.