Epitaxial growth and characterization of Eu0.5Sr0.5CoO3 thin films by off-axis sputtering

We report the epitaxial growth and physical properties of Eu0.5Sr0.5CoO3 (ESCO) thin films deposited on (001) LaAlO3 (LAO) and (001) SrTiO3 (STO) substrates by off-axis rf sputtering. The magnetic properties of a grown film are governed by the crystallinity of the thin film and strain effects due to the substrate. The temperature-dependent resistivity of an optimized ESCO thin film on a LAO substrate shows a characteristic sudden decrease near the ferromagnetic transition temperature, indicating metallic double-exchange-like behavior, while the resistivity of ESCO on a STO substrate displays insulatinglike behavior because of substrate strain. These results suggest that optimized ESCO film on LAO is ideal as a bottom electrode for strained dielectric and ferroelectric heterostructures.