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Optimum oxygen content in La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 thin films

The technological conditions of oxygen content variation in epitaxial La0.7Sr0.3MnO3-δ films and the peculiarities of change of their transport characteristics were investigated. The films were grown onto single crystal SrTiO3 substrates by an enhanced method of dc magnetron sputtering of a ceramic target. It was revealed, that the oxygen content of the film material with initially strong deviation from stoichiometric composition (δ>0.06) changes easily in both directions at temperatures Tp >=870 K, and the result of the oxygen content variation can be well controlled via changes of conductivity minimum temperature (Tm). The particularities of indirect accurate control of the oxygen content in the film are described. The existence of oxygen-excessive composition of the film is in principal agreement with the known phase diagrams for a powder samples. It was revealed, the oxygen-excessive content of the film causes the increase of free charge carriers concentration and the decrease of the film conductivity in ferromagnetic state. It is shown, that the oxygen-deficient films can demonstrate the same peculiarity of magnetotransport properties as the films with a deviation from stoichiometric content in cation composition.