Enhancement of in-plane magnetic anisotropy in (111)-oriented Co0.8Fe2.2O4 thin film by deposition of PZT top layer

Abstract

The CoFe2O4 and Co0.8Fe2.2O4 single layer (CFO) as well as PZT/CoFe2O4 and PZT/Co0.8Fe2.2O4 bilayer thin films were grown using the pulsed laser deposition technique on Pt(111)/Si substrates at 600 degrees C. All films had a perfect (111)-orientation and the degree of orientation of CFO films was improved by the deposition of a PZT top layer. Precision X-ray diffraction analysis (avoiding the shift of peaks due to sample misalignment) revealed that the CFO films on Pt(111)/Si substrate were under an out-of-plane contraction and the deposition of a PZT top layer led to the increase in the out-of-plane contraction. The (111)-oriented CFO single layer films had a strong in-plane magnetic anisotropy as a result of orientation as well as the stress-induced magnetic anisotropy. The magnetic properties of CFO film were altered by the deposition of a PZT top layer leading to the enhancement of in-plane magnetic anisotropy. The enhanced in-plane magnetic anisotropy was more detectable in PZT/Co0.8Fe2.2O4 rather than PZT/CoFe2O4 bilayer film, which could be expected from its higher magnetocrystalline as well as magnetostriction constants.