Microstructure and magnetic properties of zinc ferrite thin films producedby pulsed laser deposition

Zinc ferrite thin films were deposited from a target of zinc ferrite onto a MgO substrate using XeCl excimer laser operating at 308 nm and frequency o f 30 Hz. The crystallographic characterizations of the films were performed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), Microstructure, surface morphology, chemica l composition and grain size, as well as surface roughness were obtained fr om scanning electron microscope (SEM), energy dispersive spectroscopy (EDS) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). The magnetic properties of the thin fil ms were studied in the temperature range 5-300 K and in fields of up to 5 T using SQUID magnetometry, Data on temperature and field dependence of magn etization provide a strong evidence for superparamagnetism.