Asymmetrical twin boundaries and highly dense antiphase domains in BaNb_0.3Ti_0.7O₃ thin films

Abstract

Asymmetrical twin boundaries and highly dense antiphase domains were identified by means of transmission electron microscopy in a perovskite-based BaNb_0.3Ti_0.7O₃ thin film grown by laser molecular beam epitaxy on a SrTiO₃ (001) substrate. The microstructural characteristics of the BaNb_0.3Ti_0.7O₃ film were clarified in terms of lamellar {111} twins and antiphase domains, the domain boundaries of which are 1/2⟨110⟩ stacking faults. It is proposed that the intersections of (111) twinning with the antiphase domain boundaries result in the asymmetrical twin boundaries.

Acknowledgments

We would like to thank Professor H. B. Lu, Institute of Physics, Chinese Academy of Sciences, for providing the samples. This work was supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China with Grant No. 50325101 and Special Funds for the Major State Basic Research Projects of China (Grant No. 2002CB613503).