Femtosecond pulsed laser deposition of cobalt ferrite thin films

The insertion of different elements in the cobalt ferrite spinel structure can drastically change the electric and magnetic characteristics of CoFe2O4 bulks and thin films. Pulsed Laser Deposition (PLD) is a widely used technique that allows the growth of thin films with complex chemical formula. We present the results obtained for stoichiometric and Gadolinium-doped cobalt ferrite thin films deposited by PLD using a femtosecond laser with 1 kHz repetition rate. The structural properties of the as obtained samples were compared with other thin films deposited by ns-PLD. The structural characteristics and chemical composition of the samples were investigated using profilometry, Raman spectroscopy, X-Ray diffraction measurements and ToF-SIMS analysis. Cobalt ferrite thin films with a single spinel structure and a preferential growth direction have been obtained. The structural analysis results indicated the presence of internal stress for all the studied samples. By fs-PLD, uniform thin films were obtained in a short deposition time.