Pulsed laser deposition of polycrystalline NiZn ferrite films

Polycrystalline films of NiZn ferrite have been produced for the first time by pulsed laser deposition from targets with nominal composition Ni0.35Zn0.65Fe2O4 onto fused quartz substrates at temperatures of 800 degrees C-850 degrees C. Scanning electron microscopy and energy-dispersive X-ray analysis indicate that the films maintain stoichiometry. This is consistent with the film structure, as determined from the X-ray diffraction patterns, which exhibit the single phase pattern of the bulk material. The grain size of the crystallites is 0.3 to 0.6 mu m. VSM measurements show coercive fields of 25.5kA/m (800e) which are larger than those found for the targets, in direct relation to the shape anisotropy originating in the film microstructure. Saturation magnetization values of 660x10(5)J/T/m(3) (660 emu/cm(3)) are comparable with the bulk material.