Pulse laser deposited nanocrystalline cobalt ferrite thin films.

Cobalt ferrite thin films were pulsed laser deposited on fused quartz substrates at different substrate temperatures and ex-situ annealed at 750 degrees C in air. Grain size of these films was found to be 6-44 nm. Magnetization of these nanocrystalline thin films was found to be dependent on the substrate temperature. Magnetization higher than the cobalt ferrite bulk value was observed in the room temperature deposited film after post deposition annealing at 750 degrees C. This could be explained on the basis of a changed cation distribution in the film caused by quenching during deposition.