Growth of Monocrystalline Cu(111) Films on MgO(111) by Pulsed Laser Deposition

Copper (Cu) films with a minimal thickness of 300nm were grown on MgO(111) substrates in high vacuum by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) at various temperatures to achieve a single crystal Cu film with flat terraces without grain boundaries. We investigated the effect of the substrate temperature, the pulse repetition rate, the deposition time and the laser fluence. A temperature threshold is observed above which the growth mode is changed from a uniform flat mode to a three dimensional mode. A combined process involving a germination step at moderate temperature followed by a growth step at higher temperature yields a 450nm almost continuous film.