Magnetic properties of sputtered strontium ferrite films prepared from sintered target with Fe/Sr composition ratio of 8-14

Hexagonal strontium-ferrite (SrM) thin films were deposited by sputtering w ith the target composition ratio N (Fe/Sr) in the range of 8-14. The discre pancy of the composition ratio between the films and the target was found a nd the deposited films were in Fe-rich. In the x-ray diffraction diagram, t he observed diffraction lines varied with the composition of the target and preferential c-axis orientation can be observed in the film prepared with the target, where the composition N is 10. The grain shape as well as size was found to be independent of N. The magnetic easy axis was normal to the plane. The maximum saturation magnetization and coercivity in the perpendic ular direction were about 300 emu/cc and 3.5 kOe, respectively, when the fi lm was prepared with the target with N of 8. (C) 1999 American Institute of Physics. [S0021-8979(99)52408-0].