Microscopic structure and structuring of perovskite surfaces and interfaces: SrTiO3, RBa2Cu3O7-δ

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surfaces and bicrystal interfaces and the growth of YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ thin films on such substrates using scanning tunneling microscopy and X-ray diffraction. Proper annealing of SrTiO₃ in oxygen and/or ultrahigh vacuum produces uniformly terminated, atomically flat and well-ordered surfaces. For vicinal SrTiO₃(001) surfaces the particular annealing sequence and miscut angle sensitively determines the resulting step structure and thus the microscopic surface morphology. Steps of SrTiO₃(001) surfaces can be adjusted to a height of one, two, or multiple times the unit-cell height (a_STO=0.3905 nm). The growth of YBa₂Cu₃O_7-δ films on these substrates by pulsed laser deposition was traced from the initial nucleation to a thickness of about 300 nm. The morphology, texture, and defect structure of the films is determined by the specific structure and morphology of the pristine substrate. Anisotropic, planar defects, originating from substrate step edges, strongly modify the electronic transport properties of the film leading to critical currents up to ≈9×10⁷ A/cm² at 4 K as well as pronounced transport anisotropies. Surfaces and interface energy terms are discussed, which also determine the observed structure of bicrystal boundaries.