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Insulator–metal transition and the hopping transport in epitaxial Sm0.6Nd0.4NiO3 thin films

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  27 February 2018

Badr Torriss ,
Joëlle Margot  and
Mohamed Chaker
Badr Torriss
Affiliation:
INRS-EMT, Université du Québec, 1650 Lionel-Boulet, C. P. 1020, Varennes Québec, J3X 1S2, Canada
Joëlle Margot
Affiliation:
Département de Physique, Université de Montréal, CP. 6128 Succ. Centre-ville, Montréal, Québec H3C 3J7, Canada
Mohamed Chaker*
Affiliation:
INRS-EMT, Université du Québec, 1650 Lionel-Boulet, C. P. 1020, Varennes Québec, J3X 1S2, Canada
*
Address all correspondence to Mohamed Chaker at chaker@emt.inrs.ca
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Abstract

Epitaxial Sm0.6Nd0.4NiO3 thin films were grown on different substrates by pulsed laser deposition. X-ray diffraction indicates that for SLAO substrate, strain relaxation is accompanied by the creation of oxygen vacancies. The film resistivity on LaAlO3 and SrTiO3 substrates shows a clear insulator–metal transition (IMT) at 185 and 325 K, respectively, while the film is exclusively semiconducting on SrLaAlO4. At low temperatures, the conductivity of films deposited on SrLaAlO4 and SrTiO3 is described by the Mott variable-range hopping mechanism. With increasing film thickness, progressive tensile strain relaxation takes place, which in turn results in a gradual decrease in the IMT temperature.

Type
Research Letters
Information
MRS Communications , Volume 8 , Issue 1 , March 2018 , pp. 183 - 188
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Copyright
Copyright © Materials Research Society 2018 

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