The surface structure of SrTiO3 at high temperatures under influence of oxygen

We use low energy electron microscopy to investigate the structure of the SrTiO3 (001) surface at elevated temperatures and different oxygen pressures. Upon varying the temperature between 500 degrees C and 900 degrees C in oxygen pressures ranging from 10(-9) millibar to 10(-4) millibar, two surface transitions are found to be present. The lower temperature (1 x 1) -> (2 x 1) transition that is known to occur in ultrahigh vacuum can be reversed by increasing the oxygen pressure. At higher temperatures, we observe a (2 x 1) -> disordered (1 -> 1) transition which is irreversible in the experimental parameter range. The observations are expected to have a strong bearing on the growth of interface structures. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.