X-ray microdiffraction from α-Ti0.04Fe1.96O3 (0001) epitaxial film grown over α-Cr2O3 buffer layer boundary

Ti-doped hematite (α-Ti0.04Fe1.96O3) film grown over patterned α-Cr2O3 buffer layer on α-Al2O3(0001) substrate was characterized with synchrotron X-ray microdiffraction. The film was grown by oxygen plasma assisted molecular beam epitaxy method. The film growth mode was correlated to buffer layer boundary and Ti concentration variation. Epitaxial α-Ti0.04Fe1.96O3 film was formed on bare substrate adjacent to the buffer layer. The epitaxial film was connected laterally to a strain-relaxed epitaxial α-Ti0.04Fe1.96O3 film grown on the buffer layer. On bare α-Al2O3 substrate with diminished Ti concentration only a small portion of α-TixFe1 − xO3 film was epitaxial either as coherent to the substrate or strain-relaxed form.