Structural, electrical, and surface characteristics of La0.5Sr0.5CoO3 thin films prepared by pulsed-laser deposition

A parametric study of the growth of La_0.5Sr_0.5CoO₃ (LSCO) thin films on (100) MgO substrates by pulsed-laser deposition (PLD) is reported. Films are grown under a wide range of substrate temperature (450–800 °C), oxygen pressure (0.1–0.9 mbar), and incident laser fluence (0.8–2.6 J/cm²). The optimum ranges of temperature, oxygen pressure, and laser fluence to produce c-axis oriented films with smooth surface morphology and high metallic conductivity are identified. Films deposited at low temperature (500 °C) and post-annealed in situ at higher temperatures (600–800 °C) are also investigated with respect to their structure, surface morphology, and electrical conductivity. Received: 20 November 1998 / Accepted: 6 July 1999 / Published online: 21 October 1999