Effects of oxygen gas pressure on properties of iron oxide films grown by pulsed laser deposition

Iron oxide films were grown on sapphire substrates by pulsed laser deposition at oxygen gas pressures between 1 × 10−5 and 1 × 10−1 Pa with a substrate temperature of 600 °C. Atomic force microscope, X-ray diffraction, Raman spectroscopy, X-ray absorption fine structure, and vibrational sample magnetometer analysis revealed that surface morphology and crystal structure of the iron oxide films strongly depend on the oxygen gas pressure during the growth and the optimum oxygen gas pressure range is very narrow around 1 × 10−3 Pa for obtaining single phase magnetite films with high crystal quality.

► Pulsed laser deposition is a promising technique for growing iron oxide films.
► Crystal structure of the iron oxide films strongly depends on oxygen gas pressure.
► Optimum of the oxygen gas pressure leads single phase magnetite films with high crystal quality.