Spin-Coating and Characterization of Multiferroic MFe2O4 (M=Co, Ni) / BaTiO3 Bilayers

•Ferrite and perovskite oxides grown on platinum using spin coating technique.•Columnar growth of cobalt ferrite particle on the substrate.•Surface investigation showed a homogenous and smooth surface.•Perpendicular and parallel applied magnetic field revealed a magnetic anisotropy.•Switching peaks and saturated P–E hysteresis loops show ferroelectricity.

Bilayer films of MFe2O4 (M=Co, Ni) and BaTiO3 were prepared by spin coating of N,N-dimethylformamide/acetic acid solutions on platinum coated silicon wafers. Five coating steps were applied to get the desired thickness of 150 nm for both the ferrite and perovskite layer. XRD, IR and Raman spectroscopy revealed the formation of phase-pure ferrite spinels and BaTiO3. Smooth surfaces with roughnesses in the order of 3 to 5 nm were found in AFM investigations. Saturation magnetization of 347 emu cm−3 for the CoFe2O4/BaTiO3 and 188 emu cm−3 for the NiFe2O4/BaTiO3 bilayer, respectively were found. For the CoFe2O4/BaTiO3 bilayer a strong magnetic anisotropy was observed with coercivity fields of 5.1 kOe and 3.3 kOe (applied magnetic field perpendicular and parallel to film surface), while for the NiFe2O4/BaTiO3 bilayer this effect is less pronounced. Saturated polarization hysteresis loops prove the presence of ferroelectricity in both systems.

Graphical abstractThe SEM image of the CoFe2O4/BaTiO3 bilayer on Pt–Si-substrate (left), magnetization as a function of the magnetic field perpendicular and parallel to the film plane (right top) and P–E and I–V hysteresis loops of the bilayer at room temperature.Figure optionsDownload full-size imageDownload as PowerPoint slide