• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2011.10a
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• pp.19.1-19.1
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• 2011

We report on the metal-insulator transition that occurs as a function of film thickness in ultrathin $La_{0.75}Sr_{0.25}VO_3$ films. The metal-insulator transition displays a critical thickness of 5 unit cell. Above the critical thickness, metallic films exhibit a temperature driven metal-insulator transition with weak localization behavior. With decreasing film thickness, oxygen octahedron rotation in the films increases, causing enhanced electron-electron correlation. The electron-electron correlations in ultrathin films induce the transition from metal to insulator in addition to Anderson localization.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2014.02a
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• pp.303.2-303.2
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• 2014

The oxides of group IV transition metals such as titanium, zirconium, hafnium have many important current and future application, including protective coatings, sensors and dielectric layers in thin film electroluminescent (TFEL) devices. Recently, group IV transition metal oxide films have been intensively investigated as replacements for SiO2. Due to high permittivities (k~14-25) compared with SiO2 (k~3.9), large band-gaps, large band offsets and high thermodynamic stability on silicon. Herein, we report the synthesis of new group IV transition metal complexes as useful precursors to deposit their oxide thin films using chemical vapor deposition technique. The complexes were characterized by FT-IR, 1H NMR, 13C NMR and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). Newly synthesised compounds show high volatility and thermal stability, so we are trying to deposit metal oxide thin films using the complexes by Atomic Layer Deposition (ALD).

• Proceedings of the Materials Research Society of Korea Conference
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• 2011.10a
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• pp.19.2-19.2
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• 2011

The $(Sr_{0.75},\;La_{0.25})TiO_3$ (SLTO) ultra-thin films with various thicknesses have been grown on Ti-O terminated $SrTiO_3$(100) substrate using Laser-Molecular Beam Epitaxy (Laser MBE). By monitoring the in-situ specular spot intensity oscillation of reflection high energy electron diffraction (RHEED), we controlled the layer-by-layer film growth. The film structure and topography were verified by atomic force microscopy (AFM) and high resolution thin film x-ray diffraction by the synchrotron x-ray radiation. We have also investigated the electronic band structure using x-ray absorption spectroscopy (XAS). The ultra thin SLTO film exhibits thickness driven metal-insulator transition around 8 unit cell thickness when the film thickness progressively reduced to 2 unit cell. The SLTO thin films with an insulating character showed band splitting in Ti $L_3-L_2$ edge XAS spectrum which is attributed to Ti 3d band splitting. This narrow d band splitting could drive the metal-insulator transition along with Anderson Localization. In optical conductivity, we have found the spectral weight transfer from coherent part to incoherent part when the film thickness was reduced. This result indicates the possibility of enhanced electron correlation in ultra thin films.

• Journal of the Korean Vacuum Society
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• v.12 no.S1
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• pp.100-103
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• 2003

The magnetoresistance (MR) of $La_{1-\chi}S_{\chi}CoO_{3-\delta}$ films prepared by pulsed-laser deposition were investigated in order to clarify the magnetotransport properties around the metal-insulator transition. For the films in the metallic state ($\chi$ > 0.25), the MR(T) manifests a small peak at the Curie temperature due to the spin-disorder scattering. The transition of the film into the insulating state ($\chi\;\leq$ 0.25) is accompanied by an essential growth of the MR and results in a significant increase in the MR(T) with decreasing temperature, due to a phase separation into the ferromagnetic-metal clusters and the insulating matrix.

• Applied Science and Convergence Technology
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• v.23 no.6
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• pp.317-327
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• 2014

In order to develop nano-devices with much lower power consumption for beyond-CMOS applications, the fundamental understanding and precise control of the electronic properties of ultrathin transition metal oxide (TMO) films are strongly required. The metal-insulator transition (MIT) is not only an important issue in solid state physics, but also a useful phenomenon for device applications like switching or memory devices. For potential use in such application, the electronic structures of MIT, observed for TMO nano-structures, have been investigated using a synchrotron radiation angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy system combined with a laser molecular beam epitaxy chamber and a scanning photoelectron microscopy system with 70 nm spatial resolution. In this review article, electronic structures revealed by soft X-ray nano-spectroscopy are presented for i) polarity-dependent MIT and thickness-dependent MIT of TMO ultrathin films of $LaAlO_3/SrTiO_3$ and $SrVO_3/SrTiO_3$, respectively, and ii) electric field-induced MIT of TMO nano-structures showing resistance switching behaviors due to interfacial redox reactions and/or filamentary path formation. These electronic structures have been successfully correlated with the electrical properties of nano-structured films and nano-devices.

• Current Applied Physics
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• v.18 no.12
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• pp.1577-1582
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• 2018

While controlling the cation contents in perovskite rare-earth nickelate thin films, a metal-to-insulator phase transition is reported. Systematic control of cation stoichiometry has been achieved by manipulating the irradiation of excimer laser in pulsed laser deposition. Two rare-earth nickelate bilayer thin-film heterostructures with the controlled cation stoichiometry (i.e. stoichiometric and Ni-excessive) have been fabricated. It is found that the Ni-excessive nickelate film is structurally less dense than the stoichiometric film, albeit both of them are epitaxial and coherent with respect to the underlying substrate. More interestingly, as a temperature decreases, a metal-to-insulator transition is only observed in the Ni-excessive nickelate films, which can be associated with the enhanced disproportionation of the Ni charge valence. Based on our theoretical results, possible origins (e.g. anti-site defects) of the low-temperature insulating state are discussed with the need of future work for deeper understanding. Our work can be utilized to realize unusual physical phenomena (e.g. metal-to-insulator phase transitions) in complex oxide films by manipulating the chemical stoichiometry in pulsed laser deposition.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2015.08a
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• pp.169.2-169.2
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• 2015

$VO_2$ is a well-known a metal-to-insulator-transition (MIT) material, accompanied with a first order structural phase transition near room temperature. Because of the structural phase transition and the MIT occur near a same temperature, there is an ongoing argument whether the MIT is induced by the structural phase transition. $VO_2$ exhibits a relatively weak anti-oxidization ability and can be oxidized to higher-valence oxides (e.g., $V_4$ $O_7$ or $V_2$ $O_5$) when annealed at a high temperature in an oxygen-rich atmosphere. We fabricated $VO_2$ films on $Al_2$ $O_3$ (0001) substrates using a DC magnetron sputtering deposition process with carefully control the $O_2$ percentage in an atmosphere. X-ray diffraction measurements from the films showed only (0l0) peaks with no extra peaks, indicating b-oriented films. The temperature-dependent local structural properties of $VO_2$ films were investigated by using in-situ X-ray absorption fine structure (XAFS) measurements at the V K edge. XAFS revealed that the structural phase transition was occurred nearly $70^{\circ}C$ for heating process and reproducible. Resistance measurements as a function of temperature (R-T) demonstrated that the resistance of $VO_2$ films was changed by a factor of 4 near $75^{\circ}C$ which was higher than $68^{\circ}C$ reported from a $VO_2$ bulk. We will discuss the MIT of $VO_2$ films, comparing with the local structural properties determined by XAFS measurements.

• Journal of the Korean Ceramic Society
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• v.43 no.11 s.294
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• pp.703-709
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• 2006

We report on the synthesis of highly uniform, single phase zinc and cobalt thin films prepared by the Liquid Phase Deposition (LPD) method. X-Ray diffraction, TGA and EDX measurements support the assumption that the as deposited films are constituted by a mixture of crystallized FeOOH and amorphous M(OH)$_2$ (M=Co, Zn) which is converted upon heat treatment in air at 600?C into the corresponding zinc ferrites. The films with adjustable chemical compositions are identified with a crystal structure as spinel-type and present a spherical or rod-like microstructure, depending on the both the nature and concentration of the divalent transition metal ions. Zinc ferrite thin films present a superparamagnetic behavior above blocking temperatures which decrease with increasing the Zn content and are ferromagnetic at 5 K with coercivities ranging between 797.8 and 948.5 Oe, whereas the cobalt ferrite films are ferromagnetic at room temperature with magnetic characteristics strongly dependent on the chemical composition.

• Proceedings of the Korean Vacuum Society Conference
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• 2012.02a
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• pp.573-573
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• 2012

High quality $VO_2$ thin films were successfully grown on GaN substrate by optimizing oxygen partial pressure during the growth using RF sputtering technique. The $VO_2$ thin film grown on GaN substrate exhibited an unusual metal insulator transition behavior, which was known to be observed only either in doped sample or under uniaxial stress. Raman spectra also confirmed that metal insulator transition occurred from monoclinic M1 to rutile R phase via monoclinic M2 phase with increasing temperature. We believe that large lattice mismatch between $VO_2$ and GaN substrate may cause M2 phase to be thermodynamically stable. Optical transmittance and its electrical switching behavior were carefully investigated to elucidate the underlying physics of its metal insulator transition behavior. This study may lead to a unique opportunity to better understand the growth mechanism of M2 phase dominant $VO_2$ thin films.

• Journal of Magnetics
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• v.16 no.2
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• pp.161-163
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• 2011

We report results of first principles calculations for effects of an external electric field (E-field) on the magnetocrystalline anisotropy (MCA) in transition-metal (Fe, Co, and Ni) monolayers and at metal-insulator (Fe/MgO) interfaces by means of full-potential linearized augmented plane wave method. For the monolayers, the MCA in the Fe monolayer (but not in the Co and Ni) is modified by the E-field, and a giant modification is achieved in the $Fe_{0.75}Co_{0.25}$. For the Fe/MgO interfaces, the ideal Fe/MgO interface gives rise to a large out-of plane MCA, and a MCA modification is induced when an E-field is introduced. However, the existence of an interfacial FeO layer between the Fe layer and the MgO substrate may play a key role in demonstrating an Efield-driven MCA switching, i.e., from out-of-plane MCA to in-plane MCA.