Epitaxial structure and transport in LaTiO3+x films on (001) SrTiO3

Abstract

The structure and transport properties of LaTiO3+x epitaxial thin films grown on (001) SrTiO3 by pulsed-laser deposition is examined. Four-circle X-ray diffraction indicates that the films possess the defect perovskite LaTiO3 structure when deposited in vacuum, with the higher X compounds forming at moderate oxygen pressures. The crystal structure of the LaTiO3 films is tetragonal in the epitaxial films, in contrast to the orthorhombic structure observed in bulk materials. A domain structure is observed in the films, consisting of LaTiO3 oriented either with the [110] or [001] directions perpendicular to the substrate surface. Z-contrast scanning transmission electron microscopy reveals that this domain structure is not present in the first few unit cells of the film, but emerges approximately 2–3 nm from the SrTiO3/LaTiO3 interface. Upon increasing the oxygen pressure during growth, a shift in the lattice d-spacing parallel to the substrate surface is observed, and is consistent with the growth of the La2Ti2O7 phase. However, van der Pauw measurements show that the films with the larger d-spacing remain conductive, albeit with a resistivity that is significantly higher than that for the perovskite LaTiO3 films. The transport behavior suggests that the films grown at higher oxygen pressures are LaTiO3+x with 0.4 < x < 0.5. (© 2003 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)