Sr-ferrite thin ®lms grown on sapphire by pulsed laser deposition

High-quality epitaxial strontium-hexaferrite (SrFe12O19) thin ®lms were grown by pulsed laser deposition (PLD) on c-cut sapphire using KrF excimer laser at a ¯uency of 2 J/cm2 and substrate temperature of 8008C in 100 mTorr oxygen environment. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) and morphology analyzes showed ®lms with excellent crystalline structure and ¯at surface. The thickness was found to in¯uence considerably the surface morphology and magnetic properties of the asdeposited ®lms. The highest orientation and the best morphology with smooth surface and ®ne grain structure was obtained for the ®lm having a thickness of 750 nm. The highest coercive force of 1453 Oe was measured for this ®lm in perpendicular to the plane direction. # 2000 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.