Oriented SrFe12O19 thin films prepared by chemical solution deposition

Thin films of SrFe₁₂O₁₉ (SrM) were prepared from a solution of iron and strontium alkoxides through the chemical solution deposition method on both amorphous (glassy SiO₂), and single crystal substrates (Si(100), Si(111), Ag(111), Al₂O₃(001), MgO(111), MgAl₂O₄(111), SrTiO₃(111)) substrates. The process of crystallization was investigated by means of powder diffraction, atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Magnetization measurements, ferromagnetic and nuclear magnetic resonance were used for evaluation of anisotropy in the films. Whilst amorphous substrates enabled growth of randomly oriented SrM phase, use of single crystal substrates resulted in samples with different degree of oriented growth. The most pronounced oriented growth was observed on SrTiO₃(111). A detailed inspection revealed that growth of SrM phase starts through the breakup of initially continuous film into isolated grains with expressive shape anisotropy and hexagonal habit. A continuous film with epitaxial relations to the substrate was produced by repeating recoating and annealing.