Articles you may be interested inCurrent-sensitive electroresistance and the response to a magnetic field in La 0.8 Ca 0.2 MnO 3 epitaxial thin films J. Appl. Phys. 97, 10H706 (2005); 10.1063/1.1847092 Effects of film thickness and lattice mismatch on strain states and magnetic properties of La 0.8 Ca 0.2 MnO 3 thin filmsThe evolution of three-dimensional strain states and crystallographic domain structures of epitaxial colossal magnetoresistive La 0.8 Ca 0.2 MnO 3 films have been studied as a function of film thickness and lattice mismatch with two types of ͑001͒ substrates, SrTiO 3 and LaAlO 3 . In-plane and out-of-plane lattice parameters and strain states of the films were measured directly using normal and grazing incidence x-ray diffraction techniques. The unit cell volume of the films is not conserved, and it exhibits a substrate-dependent variation with film thickness. Films grown on SrTiO 3 substrates with thickness up to ϳ250 Å are strained coherently with a pure (001) T orientation normal to the surface. In contrast, films as thin as 100 Å grown on LaAlO 3 show partial relaxation with a (110) T texture. While thinner films have smoother surfaces and higher crystalline quality, strain relaxation in thicker films leads to mixed (001) T and (110) T textures, mosaic spread, and surface roughening. The magnetic and electrical transport properties, particularly Curie and peak resistivity temperatures, also show systematic variations with respect to film thickness.
Magnetic anisotropy of La0.8Ca0.2MnO3 (LCMO) epitaxial thin films grown on (001) SrTiO3 and LaAlO3 a substrates exhibits strong correlation with substrate-induced strain states as determined by normal and grazing incidence x-ray diffraction. In a 250 Å thick LCMO (001)T film grown on SrTiO3 substrate, an in-plane biaxial magnetic anisotropy is observed, and it is accompanied by a substrate-induced in-plane biaxial tensile strain. In contrast, the observed magnetic easy axis for a 250 Å (110)T film grown on LaAlO3 substrate is perpendicular to the film plane, and the corresponding in-plane strain is biaxial compressive. In both cases the magnetic easy axes are along the crystallographic directions under tensile strain, indicating the presence of a positive magnetostriction. In thicker films (∼4000 Å) grown on both substrates that are nearly strain relaxed, the magnetic easy axis lies in the film plane along the [110] direction of the (001) substrate.
The effects of strain relaxation on the crystallographic domain structure and on the magnetic and transport properties of epitaxial colossal magnetoresistive La0.8Ca0.2MnO3 (LCMO) thin films have been studied. LCMO films in the thickness range of 100–4000 Å were grown on (001) SrTiO3 and (001) LaAlO3 substrates, which impose an in-plane tensile and an in-plane compressive biaxial stress in the films, respectively. On (001) SrTiO3 substrates, the films can be grown coherently up to a thickness ∼250 Å, then strain relaxation occurs at a thickness of ∼500 Å. In contrast, even the 100 Å film grown on (001) LaAlO3 is partially relaxed, and the critical thickness for complete strain relaxation is ∼750 Å. The very thin films (<250 Å) show a pure (001)T normal orientation for growth on SrTiO3 and a pure (110)T texture for growth on LaAlO3. As thickness increases, the lattice strain relaxes, resulting in mixed (001)T and (110)T textures for growth on both substrates. Both the Curie and peak resistivity temperatures increase with increasing film thickness, but they do not exhibit a correlation to strain states of the film.
The effect of annealing on 3-dimensional lattice strain, crystallographic domain structure, magnetic and electrical properties of both 250 Å and 4000 Å thick epitaxial La0.8Ca0.2MnO3 (LCMO(x=0.2)) thin films grown on (001) LaAlO3 substrates have been studied. While short annealing time (∼2hrs. at 950 °C in oxygen of 1 atm. pressure) leads to anomalous increase of the peak temperature (Tp) and Curie temperature (Tc) above room temperature and that of the bulk material, longer annealing time (∼10 hrs.) restores the Tp and Tc to almost the same values as that of the as-grown films. Furthermore, as the annealing time is increased, the lattice strain relaxes with film's lattice parameter approaching the bulk value. In-plane and out-of-plane lattice parameters and strain states of the as-grown and annealed films were measured directly using normal and grazing incidence x-ray diffraction. A clear correlation is observed between Tp and perovskite unit cell volume for both the films. Tp is found to increase with the decrease of perovskite unit cell volume. This is attributed to the enhancement of overlap between Mn d orbitals and oxygen p orbitals leading to increased bandwidth and conductivity. Crystalline quality of the films as determined by the full width at half maximum (FWHM) of the x-ray rocking curves, improves with the annealing time. This work highlights the importance of controlling the 3-dimensional lattice strain for optimizing the properties of CMR films.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
customersupport@researchsolutions.com
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
This site is protected by reCAPTCHA and the Google Privacy Policy and Terms of Service apply.
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.