Structure and Magnetic Properties of Nd 0.88 MnO 3 Films Grown on SrTiO 3 (100) Substrates by Liquid-Injection MOCVD

In this study, we investigated the structure and magnetic properties of Nd 0.88 MnO 3 (NMO) perovskite thin-film layers by liquid-injection metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD) tried on SrTiO 3 (STO) (100) substrates. The structural examinations showed that the growing film was amorphous. It changed to the crystalline phase after being annealed at 900°C in air for 24 h. A minor secondary phase identified as Mn 3 O 4 appeared. The film was subjected to in-plane (IP) tensile stress leading to a contraction of the film’s out-of-plane (OOP) lattice parameters. The orientation relationships for the film structure are described near the interface as [ 101̅] NMO// [ 100] STO and [ 010] NMO// [ 001] STO. The NMO thin film showed ferromagnetic ordering with a transition temperature T C = 85 K. The large bifurcation between ZFC and FC curves with a cusp at T f = 53 K; and an irreversible temperature T irr = 48 K proves that the spin-glass behavior with long-range ferromagnetic order (Mn 3+ -O 2− -Mn 4+ ) co-exists in NMO thin films. The magnetic easy axis corresponded to the surface normal.