Rutherford Backscattering and Channeling Studies of Cleaved, Polished, and Annealed MgO (100) Single Crystals

The structure and chemisitry of surfaces and near‐surface regions of cleaved, mechanically polished, and thermally annealed single‐crystalline MgO substrates were investigated by Rutherford backscattering and channeling. The cleaved crystals remained highly ordered, showing a nearly ideal bulk truncation. The mechanical polishing introduced extensive structural damage that was identified primarily as dislocations. Such damage was removed effectively by subsequent thermal annealing. Although the annealed surface showed the presence of impurities originating from internal or external sources, the annealed MgO (100) substrates seemed to be favorable for epitaxial thin him growth since structural damage had been relieved effectively by thermal annealing.