The twinning in thin films which had been grown onto vicinal SrTiO3 (001) substrates by means of pulsed laser deposition was studied, as a function of the vicinal mis-cut angle, by using X-ray diffraction; involving the 2-dimensional q-scan technique with a 4-circle diffractometer. The results revealed a strong correlation between the mis-cut of the SrTiO3 (001) substrate, and the strain which occurred at the substrate/film interface. Depending upon the proper choice of mis-cut orientation and angle, one of the 2 twin systems could be suppressed and about 70% untwinned growth could be achieved.

J.Brötz, H.Fuess, T.Haage, J.Zegenhagen: Physical Review B, 1998, 57[6], 3679-82