Orientation selection in MgO thin films prepared by ion-beam-deposition without oxygen gas present

Ion assisted MgO film has attracted much attention because of its extensive application. Most of the related work was focused on ion assisted evaporation. In this work, MgO thin films were prepared by ion beam sputtering deposition without oxygen gas present. Effects of sputtering energy, deposition temperature, deposition angle and assisting ions on the orientation were analyzed. The orientation of MgO films is found strongly dependent on these parameters. As the parameters vary, (1 1 0), (1 1 1), (1 0 0) orientation is preferred in turn. The results surface morphology indicate that assisting ions can flatten the film surface and enhance the crystallinity. This orientation selection can be attributed to the energy exchange between assisting ions, deposition atom and adatoms. The results give the possibility to modulate the orientation to meet different demands.