2008 Volume 49 Issue 1 Pages 158-165
CaRuO3 (CRO) thin films were prepared by laser ablation at substrate temperatures (Tsub) ranging from room temperature to 1073 K in a high vacuum (10−6 Pa) atmosphere and at oxygen pressures (PO2) of 0.013 to 130 Pa. The effects of deposition conditions on the microstructure and electrical conductivity (σ) were investigated. Rectangular-shaped CRO island grains grew at 0.013Pa<PO2<130Pa and Tsub>873 K. At PO2=0.13 Pa and Tsub=973 K, as well as at PO2=13 Pa and Tsub=873 K, well-connected island grains were observed. While the composition of island grains was nearly stoichiometric independently of Tsub, the Ca fraction of film matrix increased with increasing Tsub. CRO thin films with σ less than 104 S·m−1 showed semiconducting behavior. At Tsub=973 K and PO2=0.13 Pa, CRO thin films exhibited metallic conduction with the highest σ of 1.5×105 S·m−1 at room temperature.
