Microstructure and magnetic properties of a novel spinel (Zn,Co)Fe₂O₄ thin film on the SrTiO₃substrate

A novel spinel (Zn,Co)Fe₂O₄ film is deposited on (0 0 1) SrTiO₃ (STO) substrate by pulsed laser deposition. Microstructure analysis reveals that the film is composed of pillar phase and matrix phase, and both of them have the same chemical composition. The pillar phase has the cube-on-cube orientation relationship with STO substrate, which is consistent with the reported orientation relationship between spinel CoFe₂O ₄ films and STO substrate. However, the matrix phase forms to 90° domains with a unique orientation relationship with STO substrate of spinel(1 1̄ 1)||STO(0 0 1) and spinel[1 1 0]||spinel[1 1 2] (90° domains)||STO[1 1 0]. Magnetic property study reveals that the film exhibits relatively larger saturation magnetization and lower coercive field, compared to the reported magnetic properties of the CoFe₂O₄ films on STO substrate. © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.