Self-Template Growth of Orientation-Controlled Fe3O4 Thin Films

We have investigated self-template control of Fe3O4 thin film orientation on SrTiO3(001) substrates. The growth orientation of Fe3O4 films on SrTiO3(001) is dependent on the preparation temperature, with a crossover from the (001) to (111) grain orientation occurring at around 600 degrees C. In order to grow high-quality (001)-oriented Fe3O4 thin films at high temperature, a self-template technique was used, where an 8-nm-thick nucleation layer was deposited on a SrTiO3(001) substrate at 400 degrees C, followed by main film growth at 700 degrees C. This method achieved films that showed pure (001) grain orientation with bulk-like magnetic and transport behavior.