Direct Growth Of Epitaxial La0.67ca0.33mno3-Delta Thin Films

La0.67Ca0.33MnO3-delta thin films were deposited using a high-pressure dc-sputtering process. Pure oxygen at a pressure of 3.8 mbar was used as sputtering gas. The films were grown on (001) LaAlO3 and (001) SrTiO3 substrates at heater temperature of 850degreesC without any annealing treatment. The formation of highly a-axis-oriented films with sharp interface with substrate surface is demonstrated by X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscope (TEM), and atomic force microscope (AFM) analysis. Electrical characterization revealed a metal-insulator transition at T-MI approximate to 276 K, and magnetic characterization showed good magnetic properties with a PM-FM transition at T-C approximate to 262 K.