Low temperature processing of epitaxial La 1− xCa xMnO 3 thin films by pulsed laser deposition

Abstract

Magnetoresistive perovskite-like La 0.7Ca 0.3MnO 3 (LCMO) thin films have been successfully grown on (100)LaAlO 3 (LAO) at a relatively low substrate temperature of 600°C–750°C by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method. Epitaxial LCMO films are obtained at deposition temperature of 650°C or above without post-annealing. The as-deposited films grown at higher substrate temperatures showed lower resistance and higher semiconductor-to-metal transition temperature. For films post-annealed for 1 h at their respective deposition temperatures, a large reduction in their electrical resistivity and an up-shifting of their transition temperature were observed. The maximum magnetoresistance ratio (MR), − Δ R(1 T)/ R(0), for the films deposited and annealed at 650°C and 750°C were 37% and 50%, respectively.