SrRuO₃Thin Films Grown under Reduced Oxygen Pressure

SrRuO3 thin films are grown under reduced oxygen pressures between 10-6 Torr and 100 mTorr by pulsed laser deposition. The thin films grown at temperatures above 640° C and at a pressure of 10-6 Torr are characterized in terms of the lattice shrinkage due to oxygen deficiency. The resistivity increases and the temperature dependence changes to semiconductive from metallic as the oxygen pressure during growth is decreased. The Hall coefficient of the film grown at 740° C and at a pressure of 10-6 Torr is thirty times higher at low temperatures than at room temperature. The transport properties of the film are thought to result from the high carrier concentration but the low mobility due to the oxygen deficiency.