Epitaxial growth of(111) oriented manganese zinc ferrite thin films and their magnetic properties

Manganese zinc ferrite (MnZn ferrite) thin films were prepared on quartz su bstrates buffered by a ZnO underlayer by rf magnetron sputtering. The ZnO u nderlayers exhibited preferentially (001) orientation for any thickness. Wh en Mn-Zn-Fe oxide layers as-deposited on the ZnO underlayers were annealed in reduced atmosphere at 800 degrees C for 5 hours, single-phase spinel typ e ferrites were formed. The films were preferentially oriented to the [111] direction normal to the film plane. Thin ZnO underlayers successfully indu ced (111) orientation in plane because of good lattice matching between the ZnO and the spinel phase. Films with a composition of Mn:Zn:Fe=23:9:68 had a saturation magnetization value of 410emu/cm(3). The relationship between the composition and the magnetization for the films was similar to that fo r the bulk material.