Optimized pulsed laser deposition of manganite thin films from a shock wave (p-d) scaling law

Summary form only given. The investigation into optimizing the parameters of pulsed laser deposited La/sub 0.7/Sr/sub 0./3MnO/sub 3/ (LSMO) thin films, has resulting in the discovery of a strong correlation between the target-to-substrate distance d and the oxygen pressure p(O/sub 2/). The optimal distance d/sub opt/ for each p(O/sub 2/) is calculated from a scaling law (Geohegan 1992) in accordance with the shock wave model results in films with high structural and oxygen pressure magnetic properties. d/sub opt/ is also shown to fit the plume range L/sub 0/, defined by Strikovski et al. (1998) as the distance for which species start to be thermalized in the plasma. The morphology and the microstructure of LSMO films deposited, under different p(O/sub 2/) and d, are analyzed using X-ray diffraction and atomic force microscopy. The epitaxial strain is varied using the two substrates SrTiO/sub 3/ and LaAlO/sub 3/. The magnetic anisotropy is determined at RT by the magneto optical Kerr effect (MOKE).