Effect of crystallinity on the magnetoresistive properties of La_0.8MnO_3-δ thin films grown by chemical vapor deposition

We report here a study on the role of crystallinity on the magnetoresistive properties of self-doped La_0.8MnO_3-δ thin films. Films have been grown by a liquid-source metalorganic chemical vapor deposition technique on two different single crystals: SrTiO₃ (001) and Al₂O₃ (012). Epitaxial films are obtained on strontium titanate and show a high magnetoresistance peak at low fields: maximum magnetoresistive effect in the vicinity of the magnetic transition temperature, and negligible 50 K below. Polycrystalline films are observed on sapphire; they exhibit a lower magnetoresistance of several percent which remains nearly constant over a wide temperature range. Two magnetoresistive regimes can be distinguished in these films: in low fields (up to 5 mT), a strong magnetoresistance is obtained with a sensitivity of 0.28%/mT at 78 K; in higher fields, the magnetoresistance is linear and lower than this obtained in epitaxial films. The role of grain boundaries on the magnetoresistive effect is discussed. © 1998 American Institute of Physics.