Growth of crystalline cobalt ferrite thin films at lower temperatures using pulsed-laser deposition technique

Cobalt ferrite thin films were grown on SiO2/Si(100) substrates using pulsed-laser deposition technique at substrate temperatures ranging from 250 to 600 degrees C. Thermal expansion mismatch between the film and substrate appears to have a substantial effect on the magnetic properties of the cobalt ferrite films, due to the large magnetoelastic coupling of cobalt ferrite. It was shown in this study, that polycrystalline films with (111)-preferred orientation could be prepared at substrate temperatures as low as 250 degrees C. The growth of crystalline cobalt ferrite films at such low temperatures indicates the potential to use cobalt ferrite for microelectromechanical systems devices and sensor applications including integration with a wider range of multilayer device structures. (C) 2010 American Institute of Physics. [doi: 10.1063/1.3357315]