Fabrication of La1−xSrxCo1−yFeyO3 thin films by electrostatic spray deposition

The deposition of La1−xSrxCo1−yFeyO3 (0≦x≦0.4 and 0≦y≦1) thin films on a stainless steel or gadolinium-doped ceria substrate was studied using the electrostatic spray deposition (EDS) technique. The precursor solution was prepared by dissolving the correct amount of lanthanum nitrate, strontium chloride, cobalt nitrate and iron nitrate into a mixture of 33 vol.% ethanol and 67 vol.% butyl carbitol. The effect of the process parameters, such as deposition temperature, deposition time and liquid flow rate, on the surface morphology and microstructure of the thin films were examined with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The deposited La1−xSrxCo1−yFeyO3 thin films were amorphous or nanocrystalline at the used deposition temperature (573 K). Subsequently, the samples were heated at 1173 K for 2 h and were studied using X-ray diffraction (XRD). As a result, the crystal structure of the samples transformed to the desired perovskite phase. The chemical analysis of the thin films was studied by energy dispersion X-ray (EDX) analysis. The observed chemical compositions of the samples were in fair agreement with the ones of the starting precursor solutions.