Three-dimensional strain states and crystallographic domain structures of epitaxial colossal magnetoresistive La0.8Ca0.2MnO3 thin films

The evolution of three-dimensional strain states and crystallographic domain structures of epitaxial colossal magnetoresistive La0.8Ca0.2MnO3 films have been studied as a function of film thickness and lattice mismatch with two types of (001) substrates, SrTiO3 and LaAlO3. In-plane and out-of-plane lattice parameters and strain states of the films were measured directly using normal and grazing incidence x-ray diffraction techniques. The unit cell volume of the films is not conserved, and it exhibits a substrate-dependent variation with film thickness. Films grown on SrTiO3 substrates with thickness up to ∼250 Å are strained coherently with a pure (001)T orientation normal to the surface. In contrast, films as thin as 100 Å grown on LaAlO3 show partial relaxation with a (110)T texture. While thinner films have smoother surfaces and higher crystalline quality, strain relaxation in thicker films leads to mixed (001)T and (110)T textures, mosaic spread, and surface roughening. The magnetic and electrical transport properties, particularly Curie and peak resistivity temperatures, also show systematic variations with respect to film thickness