Thin films of Ln1−xSrxCoO3 (Ln=La, Nd and Gd) and SrRuO3 by nebulized spray pyrolysis

Thin films of La1−xSrxCoO3, Nd0.5Sr0.5CoO3, Gd0.5Sr0.5CoO3 and SrRuO3 have been deposited on Si(100), LaAlO3(100) and SrTiO3(100) single crystal substrates by nebulized spray pyrolysis. The films deposited on Si are generally polycrystalline, but they are highly oriented on the oxide substrates. The cobaltate films are generally not metallic, but exhibit low resistivity specially when x=0.3 and 0.5, the latter also exhibiting ferromagnetic characteristics. Films of La0.7Sr0.3CoO3 show negative magnetoresistance of 35% around 180 K. Films of SrRuO3 are metallic on Si and LaAlO3 substrates but show an insulator–metal transition on SrTiO3 around 130 K, around which temperature negative magnetoresistance is observed.