Ferromagnetic Characteristics of a Perovskite Type of (La, Sr)MnO₃ Films Deposited by Kr Sputtering

Abstract
La_1-xSr_xMnO₃ films about 4000 Å thic were deposited by sputtering from the targets with composition of La_0.76Sr_0.24Mn_0.78O_3.0-y mixture of Kr and O₂. Although the orientation of (110) in which metallic ions are most closely packed was preferential for films deposited in the gas mixture of Ar and O₂, the orientation of (111) in which large ions such as O^2-, La³⁺ and Sr²⁺ are most closely packed was also observed in the X-ray diffraction diagrams. The maximum saturation magnetization of the as-deposited films in Kr and O₂ was 0.17 kG and it increased up to 2.4 kG for the film post-annealed at 1000°C for 3 hours in oxygen atmosphere. This value was larger than that of the film deposited in Ar and O₂ and annealed under the same condition. It seemed that the recoiled particles to the growing film surface and the atoms incorporated into the film were decreased in sputtering process by using Kr and therefore, larger 4πMs was obtained.