In this study, CaMnO$_{3}$ (CMO) and La$_{0.7}$Ca$_{0.3}$MnO$_{3}$ (LCMO) epitaxial thin films were deposited on (100) SrTiO$_{3}$ (STO) single-crystal substrates from CaMnO$_{3}$ and La$_{0.7}$Ca$_{0.3}$MnO$_{3}$ polycrystalline targets by using pulse laser deposition (PLD) techniques. Among the PLD growth parameters, such as the oxygen partial pressure, substrate temperature, and energy density, we mainly focused on the influence of the energy density. Using high-resolution X-ray diffraction (HRXRD), atomic force microscopy (AFM), and resistivity measurements, we determined the crystallinity, morphology, and electrical properties of the CMO and the LCMO films. While CMO was insulating as expected, the LCMO thin films exhibited the expected metal-insulator transition at 220 K ? 250 K only after oxygen annealing. The surfaces of the LCMO films were smooth and uniform with small grains. On the other hand, the surfaces of the CMO films had characteristic surface textures, which are believed to result from the relatively large strain between the CMO film and the STO substrate. Consistently, HRXRD data on LCMO showed Kiessig fringes while those on CMO did not. 

Keywords: Manganites, Epilayers, Heterostructures, Magnetism