Rapid Preparation of Ferrite Films by Plasma-Enhanced MOCVD

Oxide thin films of composition NiyZnxFe3-x-yO4 (0¿x+y¿1.0) were prepared at high deposition rates of between 200 and 300 nm/min by plasma-enhanced MOCVD from a gas mixture containing Fe(C5H7O2)3, Zn (C5H7O2)2, Ni(C5H7O2)2, and O2, at an rf power of 400 W or higher and a temperature of 600°C under a high flow-rate for the source vapors (e.g. 2.35×10^¿5 mol/min for the Fe source). The X-ray diffraction patterns of the films indicated that ZnxFe3-xO4 (0¿x¿0.8), NiyFe3-yO4 (0¿y¿1.0) and Ni0.4Zn0.4Fe2.2O4 films consisted of only a spinel phase with good crystallinity. However, a small NiO (111) peak was observed together with the spinel peaks in the diffraction pattern of the Ni0.8Zn0.2Fe2.0O4 film. SEM images of the films showed that they had densely columnar structures, irrespective of their compositions.