It is a conductive oxide material and is widely applied as a target in many fields (especially thin film fabrication and electronic devices) due to its unique physical and chemical properties.

1. Characteristics

1) Conductivity and metallic properties

・The metallic conductivity at room temperature and low electrical resistivity (approx. 200-300 μΩ-cm) make it suitable for use as an electrode material.

・Conductivity can be controlled by addition or strain, and meets the needs of oxide electronic devices.

2) Chemical stability

・The material is stable at high temperatures and in oxidizing environments, and is resistant to reactions with common oxide materials such as ferroelectric and dielectric materials.

・As a buffer layer, it can prevent diffusion between the substrate and functional layers.

3) Structural compatibility

・The perovskite structure is lattice-matched with many functional materials such as PZT and BTO, and high-quality thin films can be epitaxially grown.

・The crystal quality of subsequent thin films can be improved as a transition layer.

4) Magnetism

・Possesses ferromagnetism (Curie temperature: about 160 K)

5) Thermal stability

・Stable structure even at high temperatures (>600°C), making it suitable for high-temperature deposition processes (pulsed laser deposition: PLD, magnetron sputtering, etc.)

2. Main Applications

1) Electrode materials

・Ferroelectric devices

　  Used as bottom electrode in ferroelectric memory (FeRAM) and piezoelectric devices due to interface compatibility with materials such as PZT.

・Capacitors

　  Used as a conductive layer in high-dielectric thin-film capacitors.

2) Buffer layer/transition layer in multifunctional films

・Reduction of lattice mismatch and interface defects in complex oxide heterojunctions such as superconducting thin films and multiferroic materials.

3) Spintronics devices

・Used as a part of magnetic tunnel junctions (MTJs) or spin valve devices by taking advantage of their ferromagnetic properties.

4) Catalysts and sensors 

・Support or active components as catalysts (e.g., electrolytic water oxygen deposition reaction), or high-temperature gas sensor materials.