Improving the surface structure of high quality Sr2FeMoO6 thin films for multilayer structures

Abstract

<p>Two sets of Sr₂FeMoO₆ thin films were prepared with pulsed laser deposition and the effect of the laser<br />fluence and the deposition temperature was investigated. The Sr₂FeMoO₆ thin films showed clear evi-<br />dence of impurity phases when the laser fluence was altered. Phase pure films resulted through the<br />whole temperature range between 900 ^◦C and 1050 ^◦C when a proper laser fluence was used. Films fabri-<br />cated at lower deposition temperatures resulted with smaller surface roughnesses around 5 nm, higher<br />Curie temperatures and with relatively high saturation magnetization values. The Curie temperature<br />was determined from the minimum of the first order derivative and results showed the highest values of<br />350 K and above. The films with the highest Curie temperature reached zero magnetization above 400 K.<br />The results indicate that both high microstructural and high magnetic quality Sr₂FeMoO₆ thin films can<br />be obtained with a deposition temperature between 900 ^◦C and 950 ^◦C. This provides better fabrication<br />parameters for the upcoming SFMO multilayer structures.<br /></p>