Fabrication and evaluation of LaCrO3 thin film heaters

Lanthanum chromium oxide (LaCrO3) has excellent high-temperature properties. LaCrO3 doped with alkaline earth metals also has high electric conductivity. The purpose of this study is to fabricate thin film heaters using LaCrO3 doped with Ca by RF magnetron sputtering method. The crystal structure of thin films was evaluated and the surface form was studied. The results show that the thin film deposited on Si(100) single crystal and quartz glass substrates in Ar gas had a strong orientation and that its surface form was comparatively smooth. The crystal structure of the thin films deposited on Si(100) and quartz glass substrate at temperatures of 700 and 800 degreesC by sputtering in a mixture of Ar and O-2 gases was the same as the crystal structure of LaCrO3. The heating characteristics of a thin film heater on Si(100) substrate with Pt electrodes were evaluated by measurement of the equilibrium temperature-current (T-I) and resistance-equilibrium temperature (R-T) characteristics. The maximum equilibrium heating temperature was about 1100 degreesC. (C) 2002 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.