Preparation of thin ferrite films on silicon using RF sputtering

Thin-films of Ni(x)Zn(1-x)Fe(2)O(4) [(Ni,Zn)-ferrite] are grown by means of RF sputtering on Si(100) and (111) substrates, corresponding to the orientation of Si cantilevers for AFM/MFM measurements. We find that the ferrite can be sputtered directly onto the Si surfaces, but ail additional annealing step is required to obtain a purely polycrystalline, soft magnetic film. The microstructure of the films is investigated employing transmission electron microscopy, electron backscatter diffraction and magnetic force microscopy. (C) 2008 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.