"Freestanding Epitaxial Oxide Thin Film" 

Jialong Huang, MSE PhD Candidate 

Advisor: Professor Haiyan Wang

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ABSTRACT

Freestanding epitaxial thin films, especially oxide systems, are high-quality materials that can be detached from rigid substrates while staying intact. This breakthrough removes the limits set by substrates, opening up new possibilities for use in flexible electronics, photonics, and sensors. Recent progress in sacrificial layer methods, like using Sr₃Al₂O₆ (SAO) for water-based etching, and improvements in techniques like molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) and pulsed laser deposition (PLD), made it easier to create and release these films with better quality. Still, there are challenges, such as making large, uniform films and avoiding issues like cracking or bending during release. Researchers are now working on improving these methods and incorporating nanocomposites and nitride materials to make the films stronger and more functional. These advances are turning freestanding epitaxial thin films into a game-changing platform for building flexible, high-performance electronic and optical systems.