Interface structure and strain relaxation in Nd0.96MnO3 epilayers grown on (001) SrTiO3 substrates

In this work we focus on the growth of highly oriented Nd0.96MnO3 (NMO) perovskite epilayers different thickness single-crystalline (001)SrTiO3 (STO) template, using an injection metal-organic chemical vapor deposition process. X-ray diffraction revealed that have orthorhombic Pnma structure and were purely ((1¯01) parallel to (001) plane substrates. The orientation relationships between film substrate are rather well defined in vicinity interface as 1¯01NMO//[001]STO (out-of-plane), 101NMO//[100]STO [010]NMO//[010]STO (in plane). It can be concluded significantly influences strain state NMO deposited STO. There was a contraction out-of-plane layer network spacing leading progressive relaxation direction. lattice parameter is lower than bulk value. As increases, epilayer reduces so parameters tend towards their values. calculated goes from ?0.4%(thickness 150 nm) 0% (thickness 600 nm). These therefore strained at relax with thickness. observed for nm thick relaxed toward NMO. No traces extra phases detected. An atomic model interfaces has been built cross-sectional transmission electron microscopy image, crystallographic simulation software CrystalMaker.