Interrelation of epitaxial strain and oxygen deficiency in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3-{\delta} thin films

TL;DR

This study investigates how epitaxial strain influences oxygen deficiency in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3-{eta} thin films, revealing that tensile strain promotes oxygen vacancies while compressive strain suppresses them, affecting structural and functional properties.

Contribution

It provides systematic insights into the relationship between epitaxial strain and oxygen deficiency in manganite thin films, a novel aspect in thin film engineering.

Findings

Oxygen vacancies increase under tensile strain.

Compressing strain reduces oxygen vacancy formation.

Epitaxial strain affects the functional properties of the films.

Abstract

The interrelation between the epitaxial strain and oxygen deficiency in La0.7Ca0.3MnO3-{\delta} thin films was studied in terms of structural and functional properties. The films with a thickness of 1000{\AA} were prepared using a PLD system equipped with a RHEED facility and a pyrometric film temperature control. The epitaxial strain and the oxygen deficiency in the samples were systematically modified using three different substrates: SrTiO3, (LaAlO3)0.3-(Sr2AlTaO6)0.7 and LaSrAlO4, and four different oxygen pressures during film growth ranging from 0.27mbar to 0.1mbar. It could be demonstrated that the oxygen incorporation depends on the epitaxial strain: oxygen vacancies were induced to accommodate tensile strain whereas the compressive strain suppressed the generation of oxygen vacancies.