CVD synthesis and SNMS characterization of thin films of ABO(3) perovskite-type materials (PbTiO3, La(Sr)CoO3, La(Sr)MnO3, LaNiO3)

Powder flash evaporation and aerosol-MOCVD (organometallic chemical vapour deposition) methods were applied for the deposition of thin films and heterostructures of ABO(3) perovskite type-materials. It was shown that the plasma-SNMS (secondary neutral mass spectrometry) can be successfully used for the quantitative analysis of these thin films. High density ceramics were found to be good reference samples for such an analysis. It was shown that the interaction between PbTiO3 thin films and La(Sr)CoO3 (electrode material) is negligible under deposition conditions. The interaction between La(Sr)CoO3 thin films and ZrO2(Y2O3) substrate takes place only at the temperatures higher than 900 degrees C. La(Sr)MnO3 thin films react with the Si substrate during deposition by aerosol-MOCVD with formation of a silicate layer. In the case of La(Sr)CoO3 this reaction is retarded because of low oxygen partial pressure. This decrease of oxygen content in the gaseous phase near the substrate is caused by the catalytic oxidation of solvent (diglyme) at the surface of a La(Sr)CoO3 film. (C) 1997 Elsevier Science S.A.