Influence of Substrate Temperature on Structural Features of Thin Iron-Doped Chromium Oxide Films

Using X-ray diagnostics and electron microscopy, the structural features of iron-containing chromium oxide films formed at various sapphire substrate temperatures were studied. It has been shown that when films are formed on a “cold” (300°C) substrate, iron atoms are located in interstitial positions, resulting in an increase in the unit cell volume. When films are formed on “hot” (600°C) substrates, iron atoms migrate to substitutional positions, the defect density decreases, and the oxygen content in the upper film layers changes.