Series of heteroepitaxy spinel ferrite thin films (Ni_xFe _3-xO₄) were prepared by the alternating target laser ablation deposition (ATLAD) technique. Different from conventional pulsed laser ablation deposition (PLD), the AT-LAD technique allows different laser pulses incident upon multiple targets alternatively to grow the film in an atomic layer-by-layer fashion. In this research, targets of NiO and Fe₂O₃ were used to grow Ni_x Fe_3-xO₄ films on single crystal MgO (111) substrates. The substrate temperature and oxygen pressure were fixed at 900°C and 5 mTorr, respectively. Values of x were varied by changing the number of laser pulses on NiO and Fe₂O₃ targets within each cycle.

Ni_xFe_3-xO ₄ films, with spinel structure oriented along <111> direction, were characterized by CuK_α x-ray diffraction (XRD). The maximum lattice parameter (8.353 Å) was obtained at a laser shot ratio Fe:Ni∼2 which is also larger than the bulk value (8.339 Å) [2]. We studied the surface and cross-section morphology using scanning electron microscope (SEM). The SEM images revealed triangle shaped grains oriented along the substrate orientation, the <111> direction. Energy dispersive x-ray analysis (EDAX) was utilized to identify the atomic ratios of Ni and Fe elements. It is revealed Fe:Ni is close to 2 when the laser pulses on NiO and Fe₂O₃ target were 5 and10 per ATLAD cycle, respectively. The saturation magnetization, was 4πM_s, of the NiFe ₂O₄ thin films, measured by vibrating sample magnetometer (VSM), ∼4,000G, which is larger than the bulk value (∼3,400G)[12].

Microwave properties were measured using a ferromagnetic resonance (FMR) spectrometer. Using the Smit & Beljar FMR equations[9], the minimum anisotropy constants, K_⊥ = -238700 (erg/cm ³), obtained corresponding to an atomic ratio Fe:Ni∼2. The maximal FMR linewidth, ΔH(Oe)=1061(Oe), was also obtained from this film. The corresponding effective gyromagnetic factor (g _eff) is 2.00, which is obtained using the plot of f as a function of H_i.

We calculated the cation distribution based on EDAX determined atomic ratio (Fe:Ni) and the measured 4πM_S. This information can also be confirmed by synchrotron based x-ray absorption spectra analysis. The results indicated more Ni ions on A sites in ATLAD films compared with bulk. This explains the expanded lattice parameter and the increase of 4π M_S.