Epitaxial phase stabilisation phenomena in rare earth manganites

• Published in: Thin solid films 2001-12, Vol.400 (1), p.149-153
• Main Authors: Bosak, A.A, Kamenev, A.A, Graboy, I.E, Antonov, S.V, Gorbenko, O.Yu, Kaul, A.R, Dubourdieu, C, Senateur, J.P, Svechnikov, V.L, Zandbergen, H.W, Holländer, B
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Epitaxial stabilisation; Metal–organic chemical vapour deposition (MOCVD); Rare-earth manganites; Thin films
• ISSN: 0040-6090; 1879-2731
• DOI: 10.1016/S0040-6090(01)01501-2

Using injection, powder-flash and band-flash MOCVD techniques, epitaxial thin films of Nd, Ho, Y, Tm, Dy and Lu manganites were prepared. The formation of high-pressure phase NdMn 7O 12 as a thin surface layer on Pnma Nd 1− x MnO 3+δ ( x∼0.15) in an Nd-deficient system and HoMnO 3, YMnO 3, TmMnO 3 and LuMnO 3 as perovskite phases (known in the bulk only as high-pressure phases) on a LaAlO 3 substrate were observed. The remarkable reduction in the pressure needed for formation of the phases in epitaxial films in comparison with bulk samples is a manifestation of the epitaxial stabilisation discussed in the paper. The details of the crystal and domain structure of the films as observed by X-ray diffraction (XRD), selected-area electron diffraction (SAED) and high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM) techniques are described.