Transfer of Epitaxial SrTiO₃ Nanothick Layers Using Water-Soluble Sacrificial Perovskite Oxides

The integration of functional thin film materials with adaptable properties is essential for the development of new paradigms in information technology. Among them, complex oxides with perovskite structures have huge potential based on the particularly vast diversity of physical properties. Here, we demonstrate the possibility of transferring perovskite oxide materials like SrTiO₃ onto a silicon substrate using an environmentally friendly process at the nanoscale by means of a water-soluble perovskite sacrificial layer, SrVO₃. Based on in situ monitoring atomic force microscopy and photoemission studies, we reveal that the dissolution is initiated from a strontium-rich phase at the extreme surface of SrVO₃. The nanothick SrTiO₃-transferred layer onto silicon presents appropriate morphology and monocrystalline quality, providing a proof of concept for the integration and development of all-perovskite-oxide electronics or "oxitronics" onto any Si-based substrate.