TY - JOUR KW - Thin films KW - Pulsed laser deposition KW - Transmission electron microscopy KW - Semiconductor quantum dots KW - Film growth KW - Crystal structure KW - Doping (additives) KW - Phase composition KW - Matrix phase KW - Rare earth compounds AU - Y.H Li AU - L Salamanca-Riba AU - Y Zhao AU - S.B Ogale AU - Ramamoorthy Ramesh AU - T Venkatesan AB - La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 thin films were grown on LaAlO3 substrate in vacuum using pulsed laser deposition to investigate the effect of changing oxygen content. Transmission electron microscopy studies showed that the epitaxial (La0.67Sr0.33)2MnO4 phase with K2NiF4 structure formed unexpectedly as a matrix with a square-shaped nanometer-sized MnO phase distributed in a regular pattern throughout the whole film like self-assembled quantum dots. The MnO phase grew epitaxially from the LaAlO3 substrate to the top of the film with no outgrowth. High-resolution image simulation indicated that Sr ions take up only positions in every other La layer in the (La0.67Sr0.33)2MnO4 structure. Basing our theory on the composition and structure of the matrix phase, we propose that it is possibly electron-doped with a mixed valence of Mn2+/Mn3+ instead of the Mn3+/Mn4+ as in the hole-doped case. BT - Journal of Materials Research DO - 10.1557/JMR.2000.0218 LA - eng M1 - 7 N1 - cited By 4 N2 - La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 thin films were grown on LaAlO3 substrate in vacuum using pulsed laser deposition to investigate the effect of changing oxygen content. Transmission electron microscopy studies showed that the epitaxial (La0.67Sr0.33)2MnO4 phase with K2NiF4 structure formed unexpectedly as a matrix with a square-shaped nanometer-sized MnO phase distributed in a regular pattern throughout the whole film like self-assembled quantum dots. The MnO phase grew epitaxially from the LaAlO3 substrate to the top of the film with no outgrowth. High-resolution image simulation indicated that Sr ions take up only positions in every other La layer in the (La0.67Sr0.33)2MnO4 structure. Basing our theory on the composition and structure of the matrix phase, we propose that it is possibly electron-doped with a mixed valence of Mn2+/Mn3+ instead of the Mn3+/Mn4+ as in the hole-doped case. PB - Materials Research Society PY - 2000 SP - 1524 EP - 1527 T2 - Journal of Materials Research TI - Formation of the (La0.67Sr0.33)2MnO4 phase in La-Sr-Mn-O thin films by pulsed laser deposition VL - 15 SN - 08842914 ER -