Enhanced magnetic properties of NiFe2O4 thin films deposited on BCZT-buffered SrTiO3 substrate

In this study, NiFe2O4 films were deposited on the Ba0.85Ca0.15Zr0.9Ti0.1O3 (BCZT)-buffered SrTiO3 substrate by pulsed laser deposition, and the effect of the thickness of the layer on the rearrangement of cations and magnetic property of the NiFe2O4 films was explored. All NiFe2O4 films were grown epitaxially along the c-axis orientation and exhibited a smooth surface. When the buffer layer was 30 nm thick, the proportion of Ni2+ cations at the Td site in NiFe2O4 reached the maximum. Accordingly, the obtained film exhibited the highest saturation magnetization of 113 emu/cm3. This work demonstrates that introducing the BCZT buffer layer between the NiFe2O4 thin film and the SrTiO3 substrate is an effective approach to tailor the magnetic properties of NiFe2O4 thin films.