Defects in strained epitaxial SrRuO3 films on STiO3 substrates

Transmission electron microscopy (TEM) analyses of the defects formed in epitaxial SrRuO3 films on SrTiO3 (001) substrates are reported. With preparing three different forms of TEM specimens, i.e. plan-view, cross-sectional and free-standing specimens, various TEM techniques were implemented with placing emphasis on the effect of misfit strain on the defect formation. With in-situ TEM heating observations, the present TEM results provide insights into the formation mechanism of misfit dislocations, the occurrence of anti-phase boundary ribbons near the misfit dislocations, and the structural phase transitions of epitaxial perovskite films.