High‐Temperature Diffusion Enabled Epitaxy of the Ti–O System

High temperatures promote kinetic processes that can drive crystal synthesis toward ideal thermodynamic conditions, thereby realizing samples of superior quality. While accessing very high temperatures in thin-film epitaxy is becoming increasingly accessible through laser-based heating methods, demonstrations of such utility are still emerging. The study realizes a novel self-regulated growth mode in the Ti-O system by relying on thermally activated diffusion of oxygen from an oxide substrate. The controlled diffusion enables oxidation state selectivity of single-phase films with superior crystallinity to conventional approaches as evidenced by structural and electronic measurements. The diffusion-enabled epitaxy is potentially of wide use in the growth of transition metal oxides, opening up new opportunities for ultra-high purity epitaxial platforms based on d-orbital systems.