Synthesis and Characterization of Spray Deposited Nickel-Zinc Ferrite Thin Films

Thin films of nickel-zinc ferrite with general formula NixZn1-xFe2O4 (where x = 0.5, 0.6, 0.7, 0.8, 0.9, 1.0) has been prepared using spray pyrolysis technique onto the glass substrates at optimized substrate temperature of 400 °C. The nickel nitrate, zinc acetate and ferric nitrate were used as precursor materials with double distilled water as solvent. As deposited films are annealed at 600 °C for 2 hrs. The X-ray diffraction (XRD) analysis reveals that the NixZn1-xFe2O4 thin films are polycrystalline with spinel cubic structure. The SEM images shows the films are smooth and uniform in nature. To understand the semiconducting behavior the DC resistivity of films was measured using two point probe method. To know the conduction mechanism of ferrites the AC conductivity of thin films was measured. The linear nature of the graph shows the small type of polarons. Frequency dependence of dielectric constant shows dielectric dispersion due to the Maxwell-Wagner type of interfacial polarization. Impedance spectroscopy used to study electrical behavior of grain or grain boundaries.