Stress-induced magnetic anisotropy of CoFe2O4 thin films using pulsed laser deposition

Cobalt ferrite (CoFe2O4) thin films (approximate to 70 nm) were epitaxially grown on TiO2-terminated (0 0 1) SrTiO3 substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD). Films with very smooth surface, which follow the terrace of the substrate, were obtained at temperatures below 600 degrees C. The magnetic properties of CoFe2O4 can be controlled by changing the deposition parameters. The in-plane magnetic anisotropy can be explained as induced by the compressive stress in films growing at low temperature and low oxygen pressure. Tuneable magnetic properties by PLD make CoFe2O4 more attractive for practical application, especially to create multi-functional devices in combination with perovskite ferroelectric films. (c) 2006 Published by Elsevier B.V.