Epitaxial self-assembled Sr–La oxide insulating nanodots are formed through a new mechanism at the surface of an epitaxial metallic ferromag-netic La0.7Sr0.3MnO3 fi lm grown on SrTiO3 from chemical solutions, as reported by C. Moreno et al. TEM analysis reveals that, underneath the La–Sr oxide nanodots, the fi lm switches from the compressive out-of-plane stress component to a tensile component.

NANODOT FORMATION