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Metallic β-Nb2N Films Epitaxially Grown by MBE on Hexagonal SiC Substrates

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Abstract

RF-plasma MBE was used to epitaxially grow 4 - 100-nm-thick metallic β-Nb2N thin films on hexagonal SiC substrates. When the N/Nb flux ratios are greater than one, the most critical parameter for high-quality β-Nb2N is the substrate temperature. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) of films grown between 775 °C and 850 °C demonstrates pure β-Nb2N phase formation which was also confirmed by X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy and transmission electron microscopy measurements. Using the (0002) and (2131) XRD peaks of a β-Nb2N film grown at 850 °C reveals a 0.68% lattice mismatch to the 6H-SiC substrate. This suggests that β-Nb2N can be used for high-quality metal/semiconductor heterostructures that cannot be fabricated at present.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C., U.S.A.

    D. Scott Katzer, David J. Meyer, Brian P. Downey, Virginia Wheeler & David F. Storm

  2. Sotera Defense Solutions, Herndon, VA, U.S.A.

    Neeraj Nepal

  3. National Research Council Postdoctoral Fellow residing at the U.S. Naval Research Laboratory, Washington, D.C., U.S.A.

    Matthew T. Hardy

Authors
  1. D. Scott Katzer
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  2. Neeraj Nepal
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  3. David J. Meyer
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  4. Brian P. Downey
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  5. Virginia Wheeler
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  6. David F. Storm
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  7. Matthew T. Hardy
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Scott Katzer, D., Nepal, N., Meyer, D.J. et al. Metallic β-Nb2N Films Epitaxially Grown by MBE on Hexagonal SiC Substrates. MRS Advances 1, 127–132 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1557/adv.2016.27

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1557/adv.2016.27

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