Microstructural and transport properties of LaNiO3−δ films grown on Si (111) by chemical solution deposition

Electrically conductive LaNiO_3−δ (LNO) thin films with typical thickness of 200 nm were deposited on Si (111) substrates by a chemical solution deposition method and heat-treated in air at 700 °C. Structural, morphological, and electrical properties of the LNO thin films were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), field-emission scanning electron microscopy (FEG-SEM), and electrical resistivity ρ(T). The thin films have a very flat surface and no droplet was found on their surfaces. The average grain size observed by AFM and FEG-SEM was approximately 100 nm in excellent agreement with XRD data. The ρ(T) data showed that these thin films display a good metallic character in a large range of temperature. These results suggest the use of this conductive layer as electrode in the integration of microelectronic devices.