Abstract
We have investigated the properties of NiFe2O4 thin films prepared by laser ablation of a stoichiometric NiFe2O4 target. Textured polycrystalline films were obtained on a-SiO2 as well as on various substrates with Au, Ag, Pt, and MgF2 buffer layers. Epitaxially oriented films were obtained on MgO, (11̄02)-oriented Al2O3, (112̄0)-oriented Al2O3, Y-stabilized ZrO2 (YSZ), and SrTiO3, although the crystalline quality of the films varied. Contamination by diffusion from the substrate and strains induced by both lattice constant mismatch and differential thermal expansion degraded the magnetic properties of the films, and in some cases decreased the electrical resistivity as well. By choosing the right substrate (YSZ), temperature (600 °C), and PO2 (0.01 mT), we are able to prepare epitaxial films with bulk saturation magnetization (Ms=270 G) and fairly low anisotropy (K∼105 erg/cm3) as inferred by torque magnetometry. These films and bilayers are expected to be useful in a variety of fundamental investigations as well as having the potential for technological applications.
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