Anisotropic growth and magnetic properties of nickel–zinc ferrite thin film by spin spray deposition

Abstract NiZn ferrite thin films with different compositions were prepared by spin spray deposition on an enhanced ultrasonic system and significant improvements in microstructure and magnetic properties of spin-sprayed thin-films were observed and explained. The formation of triangular grain morphology as a result of anisotropic growth was discussed based on a thin-film growth mechanism, and the preferred (222) anisotropic growth was deduced as the consequence of a uniform, fast-rate deposition of high-quality ferrite thin film by spin spray. First-order reversal curve measurement was adopted to investigate the grain size distribution of the abnormal microstructure. Moreover, a transition of magnetization mechanism took place along the increment of iron concentration which resulted in a larger permeability at high frequency. These findings provide a valuable reference for an in-depth understanding of spin spray deposition and an effective way to tune the performance of ferrite thin-film material.