Eur. Phys. J. B 51, 337-340 (2006)
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjb/e2006-00238-2

High-quality in situ manganite thin films by pulsed laser deposition at low background pressures

¹ CNR-INFM-COHERENTIA and Dipartimento di Ingegneria Meccanica, Università di Roma “Tor Vergata”, via del Politecnico 1, 00133 Roma, Italy
² CNR-INFM-TASC National Laboratory, Area Science Park, 34012 Basovizza (TS), Italy

Corresponding author: ^a tebano@uniroma2.it

Received: 25 January 2006
Revised: 18 April 2006
Published online: 14 June 2006

Abstract

We show that by decreasing the laser fluence it is possible to improve the oxidation process in manganite thin films under low background oxygen pressure, allowing the in situ use of conventional Reflection High Energy Electron Diffraction diagnostic. Films deposited at low fluence (corresponding to a deposition rate per pulse lower than 10^-2 unit cells per laser shot) show a two-dimensional growth mode and possess very good transport properties without the necessity of any further post-growth annealing treatment. A physical model, based on the plume-background interaction as a primary mechanism of film oxidation during growth, is proposed to explain the experimental findings.