Growth temperature effect on the structural and magnetic properties of Fe3O4 films grown by the self-template method

We have investigated the effect of growth temperature on the structure, surface morphology, and magnetic properties of Fe3O4 thin films grown on SrTiO3(001) substrates by a self-template method. To eliminate the intermixing of (001) and (111) orientations that usually occurs in spinel films grown on perovskite substrates, a thin self-template layer of (001)-oriented Fe3O4 was deposited on a SrTiO3(001) substrate at 400 degrees C prior to the main film growth at temperatures of up to 1100 degrees C. Increasing the growth temperature from 400 degrees C to 1100 degrees C resulted in greatly improved crystallinity of the Fe3O4 thin films, with the rocking curve width dropping from 1.41 degrees to 0.28 degrees. Surface analysis by atomic force microscopy showed that raising the growth temperature increased the grain size and the surface roughness, ultimately leading to the formation of regular nanopyramid arrays at 1100 degrees C. The surface roughening and pyramid formation are caused by the dominance of the lowest surface energy spinel (111) crystal facet. The nanopyramids were fully relaxed but still perfectly (001)-oriented in the out-of-plane direction. The largest pyramids had the lowest coercivity due to a reduction of the demagnetization effect. (C) 2014 AIP Publishing LLC.