Abstract
This study examined the phase competition and critical thickness of e-Fe2O3 in epitaxial e-Fe2O3 thin films grown on a (100)-oriented yttrium-stabilized zirconia (YSZ) substrate using a pulsed laser deposition technique. The maximum critical thickness was found to be ∼20 nm for a single phase of e-Fe2O3 at the optimal laser spot size without impurities. Above this critical thickness, (00l)-oriented α-Fe2O3 begins to appear along with e-Fe2O3, eventually dominating in the thicker samples. These results suggest that the stability of e-Fe2O3 films are influenced by the appearance of a specific domain pattern, which becomes a favorable nucleation site for α-Fe2O3. The e-Fe2O3 films grown on the YSZ (100) substrate have a larger saturation moment than e-Fe2O3 grown on SrTiO3 (111), and its coercive field approaches 1/4 of the maximum coercive field of e-Fe2O3 nanoparticles.
Published Version
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a call