Adsorption-controlled growth of BiVO4 by molecular-beam epitaxy

• Main Authors: S. Stoughton, M. Showak, Q. Mao, P. Koirala, D. A. Hillsberry, S. Sallis, L. F. Kourkoutis, K. Nguyen, L. F. J. Piper, D. A. Tenne, N. J. Podraza, D. A. Muller, C. Adamo, D. G. Schlom
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: AIP Publishing LLC 2013-10-01
• Series: APL Materials
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4824041

Single-phase epitaxial films of the monoclinic polymorph of BiVO4 were synthesized by reactive molecular-beam epitaxy under adsorption-controlled conditions. The BiVO4 films were grown on (001) yttria-stabilized cubic zirconia (YSZ) substrates. Four-circle x-ray diffraction, scanning transmission electron microscopy (STEM), and Raman spectroscopy confirm the epitaxial growth of monoclinic BiVO4 with an atomically abrupt interface and orientation relationship (001)BiVO4 ∥ (001)YSZ with [100]BiVO4 ∥ [100]YSZ. Spectroscopic ellipsometry, STEM electron energy loss spectroscopy (STEM-EELS), and x-ray absorption spectroscopy indicate that the films have a direct band gap of 2.5 ± 0.1 eV.