Significant increasing of onset temperature of FM transition in LSMO thin films

• Published in: Applied surface science Vol. 269; pp. 98 - 101
• Main Authors: Chromik, Štefan, Štrbík, Vladimír, Dobročka, Edmund, Dujavová, Agáta, Reiffers, Marián, Liday, Jozef, Španková, Marianna
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Amsterdam Elsevier B.V 15.03.2013; Elsevier
• Subjects: Condensed matter: electronic structure, electrical, magnetic, and optical properties; Cross-disciplinary physics: materials science; rheology; Curie temperature; Deposition by sputtering; Electronic structure and electrical properties of surfaces, interfaces, thin films and low-dimensional structures; Electronic transport phenomena in thin films and low-dimensional structures; Exact sciences and technology; Ferromagnetic thin film; Galvanomagnetic and other magnetotransport effects (including thermomagnetic effects); Magnetoresistance; Materials science; Metal-insulator transition; Methods of deposition of films and coatings; film growth and epitaxy; Physics; Magnetoresistance; Metal-insulator transition; Ferromagnetic thin film; Curie temperature; Inorganic compounds; Curie point; Magnetization; Magnesium oxide; Ferromagnetic materials; Bragg reflection; Lattice parameters; Film growth; Thin films; Magnetrons; Cathode sputtering; Unit cell; Lanthanum Manganates; Temperature effects; Rocking curve; Orthorhombic lattices; Microstructure; Ferromagnetic-paramagnetic transitions; Hysteresis; Strontium Manganates
• ISSN: 0169-4332; 1873-5584
• DOI: 10.1016/j.apsusc.2012.10.005

► Transition temperature metal insulator above 400K. ► Increased onset temperature of ferromagnetic transition. ► Magnetization of LSMO film at 398K. ► Microstructure with distorted orthorhombic unit cells. La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (LSMO) thin films with a significant increased onset temperature of ferromagnetic transition were prepared using an on-axis dc magnetron sputtering from a stoichiometric ceramic target onto one-side polished MgO (001). The highest temperature of insulator-metal transition was observed at TP=416K. Magnetization hysteresis curves taken at T=398K indicate the beginning of the ferromagnetic transition above 400K. The negative magnetoresistance reaches 15% at a temperature of 400K. We show that the LSMO thin films with increased temperature values of resistance peak TP and Curie temperature TC are characteristic by a proper microstructure with distorted orthorhombic unit cells. This microstructure is developed during the layer growth, it is not caused by the underlying substrate and it is linked with an appropriate pseudocubic out-of-plane lattice parameter ac⊥, splitted Bragg reflections in rocking curves and as well as in reciprocal space maps.