title: Controlling the growth of Bi(110) and Bi(111) films on an insulating substrate.
abstract: We demonstrate the controlled growth of Bi(110) and Bi(111) films on an α-Al2O3(0001) substrate by surface x-ray diffraction and x-ray reflectivity using synchrotron radiation. At temperatures as low as 40 K, unanticipated pseudo-cubic Bi(110) films are grown with thicknesses ranging from a few to tens of nanometers. The roughness at the film-vacuum as well as the film-substrate interface, can be reduced by mild heating, where a crystallographic orientation transition of Bi(110) towards Bi(111) is observed at 400 K. From 450 K onwards high quality ultrasmooth Bi(111) films form. Growth around the transition temperature results in the growth of competing Bi(110) and Bi(111) domains.
authors.affiliation: ESRF-The European Synchrotron,71 Avenue des Martyrs, F-38000 Grenoble, France.
authors.forename: Maciej
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Jankowski
authors.forename: Daniel
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Kamiński
authors.forename: Kurt
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Vergeer
authors.forename: Marta
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Mirolo
authors.forename: Francesco
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carla
authors.forename: Guus
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Rijnders
authors.forename: Tjeerd R J
authors.initials: TR
authors.lastname: Bollmann