Structural and magnetoresistance properties of La2/3Ca1/3MnO3 thin films on buffered silicon substrates

We report an epitaxial growth of LCMO (La2/3Ca1/3MnO3) film on Si by using a highly conducting diffusion barrier layer of TiN. In order to achieve epi taxial growth of LCMO films, MgO, and SrTiO3 films were used as intermediat e layers between LCMO and TiN layers. The results have indicated that the p roperties of LCMO films on Si substrates, deposited under an optimized cond ition, are on par with the properties of LCMO films on conventional oxide s ubstrates such as LaAlO3 and SrTiO3 in terms of paramagnetic to ferromagnet ic transition temperature, insulator to metal transition temperature, and m agnetoresistance ratio. (C) 2001 American Institute of Physics.