IN SITU GROWTH AND CHARACTERIZATION OF LA0.8SR0.2COO3 PEROVSKITE MIXED CONDUCTOR FILMS

We have grown thin films of La0.3Sr0.2CoO3 on SrTiO3 [100], MgO [100], yttrium-stabilized zirconia YSZ [100], and CeO2 [100]/Al2O3 substrates by using a 90 degrees off-axis RF magnetron sputtering deposition. X-ray diffraction analysis reveals that, depending on substrate, the deposited films grew either epitaxially or highly textured. Scanning tunneling microscopy reveals that the thin films grow with a smooth surface and with different growth mechanisms according to substrate. For La0.6Sr0.2CoO3 thin films grown on MgO [100], the low values of the channeling minimum yield from Rutherford backscattering spectroscopy indicated excellent epitaxy with the substrate.