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Stability and Structural Characterization of Epitaxial NdNiO3 Films Grown by Pulsed Laser Deposition
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 March 2011
Abstract
Thin films of NdNiO3 were grown using pulsed laser deposition on single crystal substrates of [100]-oriented LaAlO3 and SrTiO3. X-ray diffraction and reflectivity, scanning electron microscopy, and atomic force microscopy were used to characterize the chemical, morphological and structural traits of the thin films. Single-phase epitaxial films are grown on LaAlO3 and SrTiO3 at 625°C in an oxygen pressure of 200 mTorr. At higher temperatures, the films partially decompose to Nd2NiO4 and NiO. The films are epitaxial with the (101) planes (orthorhombic Pnma notation) parallel to the substrate surface. Four in-plane orientational variants exist that correspond to the four 90° degenerate orientations of the film's [010] with respect to the in-plane substrate directions. Films are observed to be strained in accordance with the structural mismatch to the underlying substrate, and this leads, in the thinnest films on LaAlO3, to an apparent monoclinic distortion to the unit cell.
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- Copyright © Materials Research Society 2001
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