Study on microstructure and magnetic properties of Fe_3O_4 thin films grown by pulsed laser deposition

Using sintered α-Fe2O3 as target, Fe3O4 thin films were grown on Si(100) substrates by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) method. The cubic spinel structure of Fe3O4 thin films with preferential (311) and (440) orientation was analyzed by XRD. The presence of single-phase Fe3O4 in the films was confirmed by Raman spectrum. AFM analysis shows that the surface of the films is flat. The room-temperature ferromagnetism of the films is observed by hysteresis loops using VSM. The saturation magnetization (Ms) is close to 170 kA·m-1 and the coercivity is about 412 kA·m–1.