Thickness dependence of transport properties of epitaxial SrRuO3 thin films grown on SrTiO3 substrates

To study the effect of the film/substrate interface in thin films we have analyzed the thickness dependence of the transport properties of SrRuO3 films grown on SrTiO3 substrates. Our data makes evident the failure of the so-called dead layer model to describe the observed thickness dependence of the conductivity. This is interpreted as due to a non-monotonous change of microstructure as thickness increases. Indeed, Atomic Force Microscopy studies indicate substantial modifications of the growth mechanism with thickness.