The microstructure of La1–xAx(A = Ca or Sr)MnO3–δ thin films grown by liquid-delivery metalorganic chemical vapor deposition on (001) MgO and (110)pseudo-cubic LaAlO3 were studied by transmission electron microscopy. The La1–xCaxMnO3–δ thin film on large lattice mismatched MgO exhibited very defective microstructures and consisted of two typical regions. The first region was close to the film–substrate interface and had an epitaxial relationship to the substrate with many differently oriented domains nucleated on the substrate surface. The second region consisted of columnar grains with some degree of texture. In contrast, the smaller lattice-mismatched La1–xSrxMnO3–δ/(110)pseudo-cubic LaAlO3 film had good crystalline quality with highly oriented columnar grains but exhibited complicated dislocation structures. Apart from the misfit dislocations formed at the film–substrate interface, two types of anomalous dislocations with limited contribution to relieving misfit stresses were also observed. One type of dislocation had extra planes in the film and some climbed into the substrate. These dislocations were considered to form from dislocation loops during nucleation of the film. The other type of dislocations had extra planes parallel to the film–substrate interface and glided into the substrate side resulting in a 2° tilt of the film with respect to the substrate. The complicated dislocation configurations present in the sample were related to the complex strain field in the film. The relative strains along the interface measured in the film were heterogeneous. The variations of the strains in the film were related to the local Curie temperature changes and second-order phase transitions of the film.

Thin films of La0.67Sr0.33MnO3 (LSMO) were prepared at 670 °C on LaAlO3 (LAO) and SrTiO3 (STO) substrates by liquid-delivery metalorganic chemical vapor deposition. X-ray diffraction analysis 2¸/¸ and pole figure scans showed that the films are epitaxial with (001)LSMO//(001)LAO and (001)LSMO//(001)STO. The crystal structure of LSMO/LAO was indexed as face-centered cubic with a double cell and LSMO/STO as simple cubic. Electron microscopy revealed square facets and elongated grain features. Films heat-treated between 700 and 800 °C on LAO resulted in a structural change, while those on STO showed an increase in texture.

Thin films of La0.6Ca0.4MnO3 (LCMO) have been produced on (001) oriented LaAlO3 (LAO) and yttrium-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrates by liquid-delivery metalorganic chemical vapor deposition (LD-MOCVD). X-ray diffraction (XRD) analyses showed that the films were epitaxially grown on LAO substrates and were monocrystalline at a thickness of less than 500 Å. At a thickness of greater than 500 Å, the films became polycrystalline but maintained their high texture (preferred crystalline orientation). Films grown on YSZ were always polycrystalline but were also highly oriented. Regardless of the substrate, the 1500 Å thick polycrystalline films exhibited substantially significant magnetoresistance ratios even above room temperature.

This paper examines grain boundary sliding under the conditions of plastic strain incompatibility that is the most frequent case in polycrystalline materials. Two components of grain boundary sliding: dependent and independent on intragranular slip are distinguished. Theoretical estimate of a ratio between slip induced sliding and intragranular slip is obtained. It is concluded that slip and sliding are rather independent than interrelated processes.

Texture analyses have been conducted on gamma titanium aluminide (γ-TiAI) strips produced using the recently developed plasma melt overflow process. The results indicated that <101] deformation textures persisted in the γ-phase while <0002>, <1010> and <1020> texture components were all observed in the α2-phase. After annealing at 1065°C/48 hrs., the γ-phase textures did not change while the α2-phase changed from a basal to a <1010> texture. It is suggested that the texture development in direct cast γ strips produced using this technique are a direct result of lattice rotations and residual stresses caused by nonuniform cooling.