Lithium-ion conducting La2/3-xLi3xTiO3 solid electrolyte thin films with stepped and terraced surfaces

La2/3-xLi3xTiO3 (LLT, x - 0.1 and 0.167) thin films were grown on (001)-oriented SrTiO3 (STO) substrates by pulsed laser deposition. The resultant LLT films were heteroepitaxially grown with atomically flat surfaces. Although the films considered to be single crystalline, they were composed of 90 degrees-rotated multi domains (similar to 5 nm in size) with epitaxial relationships of (100) [001] LLT parallel to (001) [100] STO and (100) [010] LLT parallel to (001) [100] STO. The bulk conductivity of the LLT (x - 0.1) films was 2.5 x 10(-2) S cm(-1) at 190 degrees C, comparable to that of a bulk single crystalline LLT. Single crystalline LLT thin films with atomically flat surfaces should help clarify interfacial lithium-ion conductivity. (C) 2012 American Institute of Physics. [http://dx.doi.org/10.1063/1.4709402]