This proposed research aims at fabricating tailored microstructure ferroelectric and superconducting thin films on semiconductors substrates with and without buffer layers, and developing a thorough understanding of the structure-property correlations in ferroelectric and superconducting films. This will be achieved by controlled and systematic variation in the microstructure of the ferroelectric films on semiconductors and on epitaxial buffer layers on semiconductors. To facilitate the tailoring of the microstructure, buffer layers will be deposited which act as diffusion barriers and provide good thermal matching between the film and the substrate. This approach will be also used to deposit crack-free superconducting thin films and related superlattice structures on semiconductor substrates. %%%% This research will provide tailored processing of ferroelectric films to obtain the desired electrical properties. Ferroelectric thin films on semiconductors are important electronic devices such as non-volatile memories. This research will also lead to the fabrication of crack-free epitaxial superconducting films and related structures on semiconductor substrates. This study aims to develop a thorough understanding of the structure-property relationships in these films.
