Current Applied Physics, Vol.20, No.9, 1031-1035, 2020
Synthesis and electrical transport of SrHfO3 thin films grown on a SrTiO3 (001) substrate using a pulsed laser deposition
We report the deposition of epitaxial SrHfO3 thin films on a SrTiO3 (001) substrate in different substrate temperatures by using a pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method. We carried out X-ray diffraction (XRD), X-ray reflectivity (XRR), reciprocal space mapping (RSM), atomic force microscopy (AFM), resistivity, and Hall measurements to examine the crystallinity, morphology and electrical properties of these films. All films showed smooth and uniform morphology with small root mean square (RMS) roughness. While the SrHfO3 sample grown at 750 degrees C is metallic, the films deposited at 600 degrees C, 650 degrees C, and 700 degrees C show an upturn at low temperatures. The temperature dependence of the metallic parts was analyzed based on the parallel resistor model that includes resistivity saturation. On the other hand, the low-temperature upturn was found to be well described by a weak localization mechanism. We also observed the possible emergence of non-Fermi liquid behavior when the upturn disappeared. All SrHfO3 films have p-type charge carriers.