Optimization of atomically smooth and metallic surface of SrTiO3

We obtained metallic SrTiO3 with an atomically smooth surface, where the step height is close to the unit cell height of the crystal. After the surface treatments for generating the TiO2 terminated layer, the optimal conditions for vacuum annealing were found. The atomically smooth surface was verified by atomic force microscopy and lateral force microscopy. The temperature dependent resistance R(T) measured down to 52 mK indicates the metallic behavior, and its physical origin of the conduction was analyzed by fitting an equation involving electron-phonon and electron-electron scattering mechanisms. Our results are similar to R(T) reported for LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interfaces. In addition, the Hall effect measurement shows a clear resemblance between our reduced SrTiO3 and LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interfaces with sheet carrier density and Hall mobility. We expect that our treatments not only promote the usage of conducting SrTiO3 substrates for subsequent thin film growth but also contribute to the current research interest in two dimensional electron gas (2DEG) SrTiO3 and the interfaces between insulating oxides of LaAlO3/SrTiO3. Published by AIP Publishing.