THE EFFECT OF FILM THICKNESS ON THE MICROSTRUCTURE OF La0.5Ca0.5MnO3 FILMS

Abstract

La 0.5 Ca 0.5 MnO 3 (LCMO) thin films grown on SrTiO 3 substrate with different thickness were investigated using high resolution X-ray diffraction, small angle reflectivity, and atomic force microscope (AFM). All the films are demonstrated to be c-axis oriented. The surface and interface structure of the films were obtained. It was found that the surface morphology of the films strongly depends on the thickness, and the film will crack when the thickness of the film reach a critical thickness. The surface roughness of the films increases with the thickness. The interface between the films and the substrates are very clear. There exists a non-designed cap layer on the surface of the LCMO layer.