Solid-source metal-organic molecular beam epitaxy of epitaxial RuO₂

A seemingly simple oxide with a rutile structure, RuO₂, has been shown to possess several intriguing properties ranging from strain-stabilized superconductivity to a strong catalytic activity. Much interest has arisen surrounding the controlled synthesis of RuO₂ films, but unfortunately, utilizing atomically controlled deposition techniques, such as molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), has been difficult due to the ultra-low vapor pressure and low oxidation potential of Ru. Here, we demonstrate the growth of epitaxial, single crystalline RuO₂ films on different substrate orientations using the novel solid-source metal-organic (MO) MBE. This approach circumvents these issues by supplying Ru using a “pre-oxidized” solid MO precursor containing Ru. High-quality epitaxial RuO₂ films with a bulk-like room-temperature resistivity of 55 μΩ cm were obtained at a substrate temperature as low as 300 °C. By combining x-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy, and electrical measurements, we discuss the effect of substrate temperature, orientation, film thickness, and strain on the structure and electrical properties of these films. Our results illustrating the use of a novel solid-source metal-organic MBE approach pave the way to the atomic-layer controlled synthesis of complex oxides of “stubborn” metals, which are not only difficult to evaporate but also hard to oxidize.