A complicated crystalline microstructure of c-axis in-plane aligned a-axis oriented thin films on K2NiF3-type (100) SrLaGaO4 substrates was considered with regard to the inherent surface irregularities of the substrate. The use of transmission electron microscopy revealed that the inter-lattice planes of Cu3Ba2YO7 were shifted by multiples of c/6. This resulted in the creation of antiphase domain boundaries and stacking faults. The formation of these defects could be correlated with the uneven substrate surface, and was modelled in terms of atomic steps on the surface.

S.Miyazawa, M.Mukaida: Japanese Journal of Applied Physics, 1996, 35[2-9B], L1177-80