Low-Temperature Growth of Epitaxial Li3xLa(2/3-x)TiO3 Thin Films by RF Magnetron Sputtering
Abstract
Epitaxial thin films of the lithium ionic conductor Li3xLa(2/3-x)TiO3 were successfully grown on Al2O3 (0001) substrates by RF magnetron sputtering using a ceramic target containing 10 mol% excess Li. The effects of deposition temperature, Ar:O2 gas-flow ratio, and working pressure on film growth were systematically investigated. XRD revealed highly (112)-oriented tetragonal LLTO, with no consistent set of reflections attributable to secondary crystalline phases. Substrate-referenced azimuthal φ-scans of the representative film deposited at 650 °C confirmed a well-defined in-plane orientation relationship between LLTO and the Al2O3 (0001) substrate, with two symmetry-related rotational variants. The Ar:O2 ratio strongly affected the out-of-plane coherent domain size. SEM revealed changes in surface morphology with deposition temperature, while AFM showed a clear influence of the Ar:O2 gas-flow ratio on surface topography. XPS confirmed Li at the surface, with La and Ti predominantly present as La 3+ and Ti 4+ , respectively, together with a temperature-dependent variation in surface hydroxylation. Overall, based on the combined structural results and available morphological observations, 650 °C, Ar:O2 = 7:1 (i.e., oxygen-poor mixture), and 0.1 Torr were selected as favorable conditions within the investigated parameter range, supporting further development of LLTO thin films for all-solid-state pH-sensing applications.
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BibTeX
@article{nguyen2026lowtemperature,
title = {{Low-Temperature Growth of Epitaxial Li3xLa(2/3-x)TiO3 Thin Films by RF Magnetron Sputtering}},
author = {Thi Thuy Linh Nguyen and Zhizhong Li and Pham Tien Thanh and Diana Dragoe and Quoc Nghi Pham and Michel Andrieux},
journal = {Surface and Coatings Technology},
year = {2026},
month = nov,
doi = {10.1016/j.surfcoat.2026.134098},
url = {https://hal.science/hal-05850586v1},
note = {CC BY 4.0},
}
RIS
TY - JOUR
TI - Low-Temperature Growth of Epitaxial Li3xLa(2/3-x)TiO3 Thin Films by RF Magnetron Sputtering
AU - Thi Thuy Linh Nguyen
AU - Zhizhong Li
AU - Pham Tien Thanh
AU - Diana Dragoe
AU - Quoc Nghi Pham
AU - Michel Andrieux
PY - 2026
DA - 2026/11/04
JO - Surface and Coatings Technology
DO - 10.1016/j.surfcoat.2026.134098
UR - https://hal.science/hal-05850586v1
AB - Epitaxial thin films of the lithium ionic conductor Li3xLa(2/3-x)TiO3 were successfully grown on Al2O3 (0001) substrates by RF magnetron sputtering using a ceramic target containing 10 mol% excess Li. The effects of deposition temperature, Ar:O2 gas-flow ratio, and working pressure on film growth were systematically investigated. XRD revealed highly (112)-oriented tetragonal LLTO, with no consistent set of reflections attributable to secondary crystalline phases. Substrate-referenced azimuthal φ-scans of the representative film deposited at 650 °C confirmed a well-defined in-plane orientation relationship between LLTO and the Al2O3 (0001) substrate, with two symmetry-related rotational variants. The Ar:O2 ratio strongly affected the out-of-plane coherent domain size. SEM revealed changes in surface morphology with deposition temperature, while AFM showed a clear influence of the Ar:O2 gas-flow ratio on surface topography. XPS confirmed Li at the surface, with La and Ti predominantly present as La 3+ and Ti 4+ , respectively, together with a temperature-dependent variation in surface hydroxylation. Overall, based on the combined structural results and available morphological observations, 650 °C, Ar:O2 = 7:1 (i.e., oxygen-poor mixture), and 0.1 Torr were selected as favorable conditions within the investigated parameter range, supporting further development of LLTO thin films for all-solid-state pH-sensing applications.
SN - 0257-8972
SN - 1879-3347
ER -