Generating MgO bicrystal templates using a two-step ion-beam assisted texturing process

A two-step ion-beam assisted texturing process has been developed to generate 10 nm thick MgO bicrystal templates on technical important substrates. The in-plane tilt grain boundary angle can be selected from nearly the whole range of few to 45° by simply rotating the sample azimuthally with respect to the incident ion beam. Using this process, 10 nm thick, 45-degree in-plane-tilt MgO bicrystal templates and microarrays have been obtained on Si substrates. By choosing appropriate masks, this process may be applied for generating bicrystal arrays of sophisticated geometry and multiple-scale dimension, which are desired for various thin-film electronic device applications.