Optimization of Pr0.9Ca0.1MnO3 thin films with varying in-situ oxygen annealing treatments

Abstract

The influence of in situ oxygen annealings on narrow electronic bandwidth Pr0.9Ca0.1MnO3 films are investigated in the complex phase separation region. Measurements by x-ray diffractometry and SQUID magnetometry reveal that relatively high deposition temperature at 700 °C relaxes the lattice by twin boundaries while the lower deposition temperature at 500 °C with higher post-annealing temperature of 700 °C relaxes the substrate induced strain via oxygen absorption and makes the film structure more homogeneous. This behaviour is clearly supported by the decrease of ferromagnetic ordering due to decrease of Mn3+ ions in films oxygen annealed at high temperatures and this phenomenon is widely discussed with the models of double-exchange interaction, trapping of carriers in the oxygen vacancies and formation of magnetic polarons. The results show unambiguously that because the oxygen content tailors many physical properties dramatically, the annealing treatments are in very important role when optimizing these materials for future applications.